Shattered Destiny
by Sephora7
Summary: As Detective Danny Fenton runs from his past he swears off his powers and throws himself into work. The time he spends rebuilding a life of normalcy is torn down when he's assigned to the Teen Titans as a partner detective. Can the Titans restore Danny's faith in heroism? Will Danny have enough strength when their case leads him to confront his past? *Collaboration Fic -Astrovagant
1. Chapter 1

Shattered Destiny

Disclaimer: I own neither the Teen Titans or Danny Phantom

A/N: Danny is 19, and is set five years after PP.

* * *

 _"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." -Helen Keller  
_

* * *

 _Lightning flashed, a woman's face came into view before disappearing in the rain. She carried something in her arms, he wasn't sure what. Another lightning strike and there was a shadow of another figure behind her, steadily gaining on her. Her eyes widened, she clutched the bundle closer. There was a cry. Someone fell. There was a scrape of a boot slipping on the concrete. Shocking blue eyes stared back and her mouth opened to speak-_

The sound of the alarm jarred Danny Fenton from sleep and he jolted awake. His hand slammed on the alarm clock effectively turning it off and he groaned. He'd only gotten three hours of sleep last night and that dream didn't help. It was so vivid and there was something so familiar about those eyes...

He groaned again and flopped back on the bed. Another day of work. Not that he minded exactly, working with the Police Department gave him purpose. It helped him heal from his past and it distracted him. He was thankful he could help, and if he didn't get up soon he was going to be late. This would be a great time to use his ability of flight but he'd sworn off using his powers long ago.

He shot out of bed and quickly brushed his teeth, changed, and grabbed a muffin while running his fingers through his hair. He took a quick look into the mirror, and after deeming himself presentable he ran out the door.

A second later he ran back in to grab his coffee, bag, and his badge and came back out just in time to catch the bus.

"Another wonderful day in Jump City." Danny muttered and nodded a greeting to Sandy the bus driver. Soon enough they were off and in about ten minutes he was walking into the JCPD Criminal Investigation's Building.

"Three minutes late Fenton." Tucker Foley yelled to him with a smirk and Danny turned to him with a mock glare,

"Shut it Foley, and where's that report you were supposed to finish last night?" He retorted and Tucker quickly ducked out of sight. Danny rolled his eyes, he knew he would have to yell at him later for it.

Instead he walked into his office and set his things on his desk. He walked to his chair and sat his a sigh, he was exhausted.

After a minute of staring at his paper work his assistant kindly put onto his desk he decided to start working on it. The weren't going to finish themselves, although Danny wished they could. He grabbed his first folder and roamed his eyes of the papers while his mind wandered back to his dream. He couldn't get it out of his head and it seemed so real.

First he thought they might have been his mom's eyes but Maddie's were more turquoise. This woman's eyes were a deep ocean blue with a small hint of lavender. Not to mention they were completely terrified. He didn't recognize her though, which confused him. He soon shrugged it off. With everything that he's seen in his life, it was probably nothing. It wasn't worth worrying over, especially since it distracted him from his work.

Shaking the dream out of his head Danny looked up as the PD's CI manager knocked on the door and walked in.

"How's that report coming along Fenton?"

Danny scowled,

"My team is working on it as we speak Frank, I'll personally hand it over to you myself when we're finished."

"Make sure to do that by this afternoon." He leveled Danny a stern look and then he was gone to terrorize his next victim. Danny resisted the urge to sigh, he was always so impatient.

Another ten minutes went by and Danny was finished going over a new case his team had been assigned to. It was time for the briefing.

"Alright team we have a new case. Foley, Manson, and Johnny you're on crime scene duty while James and I interview anyone around the time of the incident." He began the announcement. Once he gained everyone's attention he continued,

"Two victims murdered in their hotel room." He started while handing out copies of photograph's.

"One woman, one man, both married to different people. Amy Smith and Gary Bennett. The PD received a tip from an anonymous source that the wife of the man shot them both in their room before they were found dead. The wife is Emma Bennett, and has a criminal background that includes theft, possession of illegal weapons, and has multiple accounts of arrests for fighting other women and disrupting the peace. Look for prints, stray bullets, and any other specified DNA samples you can find. Report back to me at noon."

His team took a few minutes to ask standard questions which he answered informatively. It was a routine investigation and it only took a few hours to get the evidence they needed. After interviewing some of the people that worked at the hotel Danny headed back to the office to finish up any work he had left. The rest of the team could handle it without him and he wanted to take a look at another case. He opened up his computer and got to work.

He made it fifteen minutes into his research before another knock interrupted his progress. Irritated he looked up to see Frank in his doorway. Rolling his eyes he handed the now completed report back to him.

Fortunately he had the rest of the day to research while his team finished up the case. After they gained evidence and filed the report it would go back to the Chief of the Police Department where they would then issue an arrest warrant for the accused. Sometimes when a case was particularly difficult they would send Danny to retrieve the suspect and interrogate them. Danny's favorite part of the job was when he was able to work as a field agent, and capture the unsub along with saving any of the victim's. He loved to watch as the families would reunite. He didn't however, love paper work. He scowled and continued his research.

Eventually when it was around 8:00 pm he shut his laptop and stretched. He got up and walked out along with some other stragglers. After everything that happened Tucker and Sam never left his side though their relationship was strained. They all drifted apart and he only acknowledged them as their leader. Sam realized that their relationship would never be the same again and she moved on. Tucker did his best to stay close to both of them although it was hard. Danny shut everyone out.

He always walked home to his apartment. He loved the stars and it made him think back about four years ago when he wanted to be an astronaut. He loved space and would have done almost anything to have the opportunity to see it. Now it was just an abandoned dream.

That was his new life. It had become routine. Get up, go to work. Run a case, file a report. Research for the next one. Go home. Do it again. It was familiar and that's how he liked it. Everything was just fine and he was able to ignore his growing feeling's of hopelessness until one morning when Danny made it to his office. Frank immediately appeared.

"New case detective, you were personally requested. Starting next week you work with them indefinitely. Detective Foley will be put in charge until your return."

Danny's curiosity piqued and he looked back at Frank with a new confidential folder in hand. It wasn't odd for him and his team to be requested but him alone, and to be working with another partner indefinitely? He reached out to receive it.

"Oh? And who do I have the honor of working with?"

Frank grinned widely and all the time he spent rebuilding a new life away from heroism was suddenly torn back down in his next statement.

"None other than Robin, leader of the Teen Titans."

* * *

A/N: Please Review. Constructive Criticism is encouraged and we all love hearing from fellow readers. Danny's past will be revealed in future chapters.

Tucker and Sam are both detectives on Danny's team in Jump City. They know his secret and went through his past with him.

I know you have to be 21 in order to be a detective but Danny's skills are exceptional and I'm bending the rules a bit.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A/N: Bear with me guys, the build up will be slow but I promise it's necessary.

* * *

The rest of the week Danny spent trying to think of ways to get out of his new assignment. When he couldn't, he contemplated disappearing altogether. He hadn't went invisible in three years but maybe he could make an exception.

When the weekend came and Frank told him he would actually have to move in with the Titans Danny was not happy at all.

"No. No way. I have my own apartment, why would I need to move in with them?"

Frank raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Titan's Tower is an hour away on the other side of town. I thought you knew that? Besides, anyone else would kill for the chance to live with the Teen Titans."

"Not me." Danny muttered though Frank didn't hear.

"Robin made it clear he doesn't want just anyone Fenton. You will go, and you will stay."

Danny opened his mouth to protest but stopped when Frank gave him a stern look leaving no room for argument. He sighed in defeat. Frank didn't know why he was so adamant about not going, but Danny couldn't tell him he didn't want to be around heroes simply because he used to be one and it's the entire reason why he swore off using his powers. It was true there were many detectives that would kill to be in his position. He knew he had to go, but that didn't make it any easier.

Danny groaned as he packed up his things. Tucker would take over his office until he got back, and he didn't know when. He wasn't allowed to look over the case because he was told Robin wanted to go over it with him himself. That meant it was a very confidential case, and for Robin to seek out private help made Danny all the more skeptical. In all honesty it made him a little uneasy about the entire situation.

Danny trained over the weekend. After resorting to being human for the rest of his life, he began training his hand to hand combat skills. They definitely paid off when he worked out in the field. He wanted to be prepared for anything now that he wasn't sure what exactly he was getting into. Tomorrow he would be moving in and meeting the team for the first time. It wasn't like he hadn't seen them before though, it wasn't uncommon for the Titans to walk into the police department as Danny was working. Although he was in a separate building he had to come up to the main office a lot to file reports and there were many times where he'd pass them. He had just never worked with them personally. He finally went to sleep feeling restless.

The next morning Danny was a little hesitant when he walked up to the doors of Titan's Tower, his suitcase in his hand. He always traveled light, just in case. It loomed over him and he looked up. He scowled and for a moment he thought about just walking away. Just as he convinced himself not to get involved, move away, and find another job the opened to revealing another teen much like himself. Same height, same build with a costume made with red, yellow, and green. He had a black a cape and he wore a domino mask that covered most of his facial features. His hair was black and spiked. Well there was no turning back now.

Robin was the first one to the door when it finally rang that morning. He told the team that Daniel was coming but he wanted to be the first one to great him. He opened the door, slightly shocked to see a teen much like himself. He had jet black hair that fell in front of his face. His feet were placed almost defensively, and he had a similar build. Lean but not lanky, around his height. His eyes were a piercing ice blue, and they were guarded. He looked much too young to be an expert detective. Robin grinned and reached out his hand,

"Daniel Fenton, nice to meet you. I'm Robin." He watched Danny eye him carefully and then take his hand.

"I would say it's a pleasure, but since I'm needed here it probably won't be."

Robin raised an eyebrow. At least he was honest.

He opened the door more widely to let Daniel in. He walked in as Robin's team began to gather around him. Robin watched as Daniel immediately scanned the room looking for potential exits, routes, and other significant items.

"Team this is Chief Detective Daniel Fenton." Robin stated and watched Daniel.

"Please, call me Danny. Or Fenton." Robin saw him grin wryly. His stance was still defensive, it was odd.

"It is most glorious to have your help friend Danny. I am Starfire." She greeted cheerfully. Danny nodded back in greeting.

"Alright man! I'm Cyborg, you play video games?" Cyborg walked towards the detective and Danny shook his head, his face slightly grim. Something seemed off.

"Unfortunately not as much as I used to."

"Dude we just got Mega Monkey's 5, it's so awesome!" Beast Boy yelled catching Danny's attention. Beast Boy grinned cheekily, and Danny frowned slightly. He looked much to young to be a Titan. 15 at the most.

"Mr. Fenton's here for work Beast Boy." Danny looked over to see a purple haired girl around his age. She wore a blue leotard with a cape that wrapped around her body. Her hood was up and he couldn't see her face clearly.

"Raven's right Beast Boy. When he has time off then he can do what he wants. I'll show you to your room, need any help with your things?" Robin asked Danny who looked down briefly at his suitcase. He shook his head,

"I have everything I need."

Robin nodded and led the way to the room. Danny could feel the eyes of the others as they watched him leave,

"Must be a pretty confidential case to not tell them yet. Do they even know why I'm here?"

Robin glanced back concealing his surprise. Danny was very perceptive, almost as observant as him.

"They know enough."

Robin stopped at a closed door and he put his palm up to the control scanner. It scanned and the door opened revealing a room. They walked in and Robin watched Danny studying him. It had a queen sized bed in the middle of the room against the wall with a simple black comforter. It also had beige walls, a desk for work, and a drawer. There was another door that led to the closet. Danny's attention was focused on the wall sized window that overlooked the other side of the bay. It was beautiful.

"Nice." Danny commented and he turned to finally see Robin studying him. He raised his eyebrow in question.

"I'll give you a few minutes to unpack. After that I want to brief everyone on the case all at once. I chose you to help for a reason."

"Why?"

Robin looked at him for a moment, expression unreadable.

"You have experience with meta-humans."

Robin watched Danny scowl and cross his arms in irritation.

"You read my file." Robin raised his eyebrows in response,

"Of course I did. Why would I let someone into my Tower much less work with them without any knowledge of their background?"

"How much do you know?" His eyes were carefully guarded revealing nothing. Robin looked at him for another moment before responding,

"I know enough." He answered and watched Danny try to hide the fear in his eyes.

"Meet us back in the common room when you're finished." Robin ordered and left without another word leaving Danny to his thoughts while he unpacked.

He knew immediately that Robin wasn't letting on about everything he knew, and based on his response he knew more than Danny cared to admit. Very few people knew about his past and although Sam and Tucker were the only people to know about his alter ego he wouldn't be surprised if Robin at least suspected. There was something so familiar about his face too but he couldn't place his finger on why. He figured it was just because he'd seen him before. They were the heroes of Jump City after all. Their faces were on just about everything. Posters, cups, advertisement boards. Danny always thought it was a little much. They seem like normal teenagers, just like him. Well, as normal as you can get with special abilities. Which brought him to his next thought. He would be working a case including meta-humans. That was about to make his situation even more complicated.

Eventually he finished and began his walk back to the common room, noticing he passed two other rooms along the way. Robin's and Raven's. The others must have been on another hallway. He made it back to see the team all huddled around Robin's laptop. They must've started without him already.

"Dude check it out!" Beast Boy yelled to him as he got closer. Curiously he looked over and he blanched. It was clear it was a meta-human. Hero or villain he wasn't sure. They were fighting off an un known source before suddenly disappearing. After that it was over. Danny studied the area around them, it was dark and looked to be in an alleyway. He noticed a faint green glow in the distance and his eyes widened slightly. It looked like ectoplasm. That couldn't be right, he sealed off the ghost portal a long time ago. He even worked with Clockwork to prevent any other natural portals from entering earth.

"Heroes and Villains alike are disappearing and we're not sure where they are. We have three total disappearances. Reports show the exact same footage. It's almost as if they're fighting an invisible source and then suddenly vanishing." Robin stated and Danny looked up to see the photos on the screen.

"Have there been any sightings of them at all after their recorded disappearance?" Danny asked and Robin shook his head.

"This is our top priority in between calls. The disappearances are each about a month apart. The last one was a week ago so we can expect the next one to in three weeks. Your job Danny is to help find out why this is happening, who is behind the disappearances, and who their next target is. Until someone else disappears we have no leads at the moment."

Danny put his hands to his temples already seeing the difficulty of the situation.

"Are there any eye witnesses? Any evidence gained from the scene?" He asked in hopes to gain information. He was only slightly surprised when Robin shook his head again. Danny regarded the team grimly.

"I'll see what I can do. I'll need time to research, and I need the files of the people that were supposedly taken." He told everyone and Robin nodded in affirmation already handing him the folders. Danny thanked him and took them. He would at least be able to look through the folders to see if there were any similarities between the people taken.

"Just keep me updated, and when we're not being called I'll help." Robin replied and Danny nodded. Although he wasn't used to having a partner to help research with he wasn't complaining. This would definitely be a tough case.

The next few days were strange as Danny tried to fit into the group dynamic at Titan's Tower. Everyone was more than welcome to help as he researched. Robin would usually help early in the morning and if there were no interruptions they would continue until about noon. Later he would help again in the evening. Danny had to admit he was impressed at Robin's detective skills, they matched his own.

The other teammates readily accepted Danny into their home and Cyborg and Beast Boy were pleased to say they actually got Danny to sit down with them and watch as they played Mega Monkey's 5. Of course Danny refused when he was offered to play but he was content to watch. Starfire watched from the kitchen as she baked whatever dish she decided to make that day, and Raven sat away from him in the corner reading. Robin sat next to him and a few times had even joined in to play with Cyborg and Beast Boy. That's when they began to ask him questions.

"So Danny what do you do for fun?" Cyborg asked as he raced Beast Boy on the screen. Robin observed from a distance,

"I tackle criminals to the ground, and sometimes I get to interrogate them." Was the answer and Cyborg paused the game to look at him in shock. Beast Boy also wore a similar expression when he turned back to see the seriousness in his face. Raven rolled her eyes and continued reading.

"You mean you don't do anything other than work?" Cyborg asked and Danny contemplated on how much he actually wanted to tell them.

"I…like to train." He told them and Robin perked up with interest.

"Oh yeah? What can you do?" He asked and Danny smirked. That was something he was comfortable talking about.

"I practice martial arts. Mostly Taekwondo and Tai Chi. A little bit of Kung Fu." Cyborg and Beast Boy looked at each other and smirked.

"Looks like you met your match Rob. I bet Fenton can kick your ass." Cyborg goaded Robin who was very tempted to challenge Danny to a match. However Danny intervened, not wanting to start anything.

"It's just basic techniques really. Just enough practice so I can defend myself." He lied and Robin saw right through his lie though he didn't call him out on it. Danny simply shrugged when he saw his look of skepticism.

"Got a girlfriend?" Beast Boy then asked Danny who narrowed his eyes slightly, not particularly liking where this conversation was going.

"Not at the moment." He answered and watched Beat Boy's smirk grow. He turned to look back at Raven mischievously.

"Hey Rae here that? Danny over here is single and ready to-" He yelped as Raven cut him off, picking up the nearest book and throwing it at him with her powers. It hit him dead on and knocked him over. Danny raised his eyebrow in response looking towards the empath who just shrugged. She pulled her hood up and continued to read. Robin watched Danny, who seemed just as uncomfortable.

"What about friends? Family?" Cyborg continued the conversation and everyone was surprised to see him stand up suddenly.

"That's enough talk about my personal life for today." He ignored the question and stomped out of the room. Robin silently watched him go as the others looked at him in shock.

"Remind me never to bring that up around him again." Cyborg muttered and everyone silently agreed. Something bad must have happened for him to have such an adverse reaction. Robin thought later to bring it back up but then he thought better of it. He would honestly probably have the same reaction if someone had asked him the same question. Then again he had an identity to protect, Danny didn't. So was there more to him than he had originally thought?

Danny on the other hand was beyond irritated. Being stuck here to work on some case he had no idea where to start, absolutely no leads, and not to mention he had to live with a bunch of meta-humans who already wanted to pry into his life. He slammed the door shut and began to pace the room knowing that everyone heard but he didn't care. Who were they to ask him personal questions? Sure they seemed pretty standard but didn't every hero know not to ask about family? Danny slowed his pace and slumped. He wasn't a hero, there was no way they could have known not to ask him about such a sensitive subject. He cursed, now he knew they would probably be suspicious.

He paused when he saw his laptop and then strode towards it. He would just focus on research, that way he could have an excuse to stay in his room and not talk to any of them if at least for a few hours. Spreading the three folders out he sat down to research. He could at least look through the profiles one more time to see if there were any connections at all. He looked at the watch on his wrist, it was 6:30. Good, he could work a few hours and then go to sleep not having to see anyone for the rest of the night.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'd first like to explain a few things regarding some recent scrutiny. Danny Phantom has a hero complex. Even if he refused to be Phantom he'd still feel the need to help people in some way, and becoming a detective was an easy way for him to do that. He's assigned his missions and it's easier to fight off other humans than ghosts. He's an Ex-Hero, not a retired officer. He has no problem fighting crime and he blames himself for what happened to his family, hence why he doesn't use his powers anymore. Some people make decisions that they think are best and are blinded by their own grief and stubbornness. Yes I know it seems a little ironic, but I think I can do something good with this plot line. If however you all think that I should not continue I will not waste my time writing something that you do not want to read. So after this chapter I will be taking a break. Your reviews will be a deciding factor as to whether or not I continue the story. Thanks guys!

Chapter 3

* * *

Danny walked carefully down the street near the site of the disappearances. It was a dark alleyway that led to a few buildings. Danny noted it was close to a bar.

He wore dark jeans and a black jacket with a white undershirt. He knew the bar was a beacon for criminals. There were many cases that led him to find a convict here. His goal was to infiltrate the bar undercover and look for any possible connections.

He continued walking down the path as his eyes continually scanned his surroundings. There were rumors of a mafia gang in this area, and Danny wanted to find more information on that as well.

The Titans were out, but Danny didn't stay or care long enough to know where. Robin had given him a communicator if anything happened to go awry. Danny left it back at the tower. It was crucial for him to ensure that no one there suspected him of having any alliance with the Titans whatsoever.

He noticed the slight chill in the air and he shoved his hands in his pockets. He reached the front entrance and the guard there eyed him as he walked by into the bar.

After a moment of scanning the room his eyes landed at the bar. He walked up and ordered a drink, showing his I.D. It may have been fake but they didn't know that. He snorted slightly in disgust as he looked around seeing a few men leering at a couple of women in the corner. He knew the women were most likely convicts but it still didn't make it acceptable.

For a few minutes he listened in on a conversation between the bartender and a few people as he leaned against the bar. It was about miniscule things, relationships and normal life predicaments. Danny didn't bother to join in, he already knew he couldn't relate. He was out following a lead. He was looking for someone specific, and if he was correct on his theory (which he usually was) they would be coming tonight. They came every Monday evening around 11:00 pm for meetings.

A slight movement to his left caught his attention and he narrowed his eyes when he saw a few men inconspicuously walking to the back. It was them. What looked like to be the owner stood in their way and they paid him off quickly while continuing towards the back. Danny followed behind, making his way through the crowd. They slipped through a door in the back that led to storage room. Danny slipped in and hid behind some stacked boxes before the door closed. With his sensitive hearing he was able to catch a few phrases.

"I don't care how long it takes, I need them _alive_." A voice ordered and Danny didn't recognize it. He tried to look above some of the boxes but they were out of sight. He saw a shadow of movement.

"Money won't be an issue. I'm willing to pay the price for him."

Danny was disgusted, whoever the men were, were negotiating prices for someone.

"I expect him to be here in two weeks." The voice continued leaving no room for argument. Danny cursed that he couldn't seem him but he couldn't get any closer. It would be too dangerous, unless he turned invisible. He considered it but then ducked after the shadows drew closer. He strained his eyes to make out someone in black wearing a mask. Danny crouched back and silently cursed when his foot stepped on some bubble wrap.

"There's someone here." He growled and Danny widened his eye. Everyone stilled to listen for movement. The guy suddenly turned and shot a round of bullets at some boxes next to Danny who barely jumped out of the way. Danny cursed, his cover was blown. He took the gun out of the holster at his side and aimed hitting the guy in the leg taking him down. He quickly assessed the room, there were four total. Two were running out an exit while two more were fumbling for their guns.

"JC Police, put your hands up!" He ordered, frustrated at the turn of events. The two continued running. Danny took to a sprint and was surprised to see Robin fly down with his grappling hook, taking the other two men down. It was clear they were inexperienced gang members. That didn't make sense any sense.

"They're getting away!" Danny yelled back to Robin who turned to see them running out the door. They were dressed completely in black, they almost looked demonic. Danny continued to sprint with Robin not following far behind. They ran down the alleyway where they were taken, and Danny pushed himself to go faster. It was a dead end, he watched as the two figures turned around to face him and Danny slowed to a stop. Robin threw a birgarang but it passed straight through them. In an instant there was a green flash and then they were gone. Danny cursed as Robin caught up to him, also witnessing the entire event.

"There goes my only lead." Danny growled and Robin stood silent. Danny then turned on him.

"What were you doing here anyway? You could have compromised my plans." Robin looked genuinely surprised.

"Are you kidding me? This is my job, besides you compromised your own plan yourself."

Danny snorted and walked past him, not wanting to admit that he was right. It made absolutely no sense. How were they disappearing like that? His ghost sense didn't even go off. Damn bubble wrap.

"We can at least take in some of the men in for questioning." Robin told him walking along side Danny as they headed back towards the building. He opened the door and narrowed his eyes.

"Not likely." He gestured to the room and Robin peered in. It was empty.

* * *

 _"Daniel." The woman gestured towards him. He watched, captivated by her eyes. A deep ocean blue with just a hint of lavender. Her face looked haggard. Her eyes pleaded with him, wanting to tell him something important, wanting him to understand. The figure stood by at a distance, looming over them. It got closer, the woman panicked._

 _"He wants you dead, don't give up. I won't be with you. Please understand."_

 _"It's okay." He heard himself tell her. Her eyes filled with adoration. She reached out her hand to cup his face. Her eyes opened in horror, she screamed-_

Danny woke up in a cold sweat, not registering his surroundings. He looked up to the clock on the wall. It read 3:27 am. He groaned and picked his head up off his desk. His laptop was still opened to the article he was reading about mafia gangs in jump. He shivered, his dream rocked him to his core. He was so convinced it was real.

He stood up slowly and walked down the corridor towards the kitchen. He flipped a switch to turn on the light and nearly jumped when he saw Raven in the corner. She arched a brow while she nursed a cup of tea.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asked monotonously and Danny sighed. She slid the pot over to him which he gladly took.

"You could say that." He answered and they slipped into silence. The only sound was of him pouring the tea into the cup he got from the shelf. He looked at her to see her watching him. He gave her a small smile,

"Would you like to talk about it?" Raven then asked and Danny nearly dropped his cup. How did she know?

"Empath." She deadpanned.

"Ahh, right." He nodded in understanding though not willing to share. He didn't even want to think about it.

"We're not so bad you know." Raven began another conversation though she didn't know why. It was out of character for her to willingly talk first to someone. Danny raised a brow causing the corners of her mouth to turn upwards in a small smirk. Danny nearly missed it, though when he caught it he saw that it complimented her well.

"Yeah…I just have bad experiences with meta-humans." He told her and she was silent, giving him the opportunity to continue. When he didn't she walked over to the table and sat down. Danny took a chance and decided to sit down with her.

"Not all people are bad, and if you give us a chance we'd really like to get to know you."

He studied her and she looked away after a moment. That was the first time he'd ever heard her say more than just a few words. Raven couldn't tell what he was thinking and she couldn't even tell what he was feeling. He hid his emotions just as well as Robin did.

"How about I get to know you." He then suggested still watching her. She raised her brow deciding to negotiate.

"We can get to know each other." He paused, then grinned slightly thankful for the distraction she was offering him from his dream.

"Alright. A question for a question." He challenged and Raven saw him smirk. She cautiously agreed.

"Favorite color?" Danny asked and Raven deadpanned gesturing towards her outfit.

"Right." He chuckled and sat back waiting for her question. He watched as she slightly pursed her lips in thought.

"What is your favorite food?" She asked lightly. Danny smiled in genuine making Raven want to return it.

"Definitely pizza." He answered and Raven wasn't surprised. She had lived with three growing teens for years, she knew all of their favorite foods.

"How did you become a Titan?" Danny asked and leaned forward. It was a personal question and they both knew it. He was giving her the option of sharing something intimate, something that she could use as an opportunity to build trust. She took a chance.

"I came from Azarath to find help on earth to help defeat my father Trigon. I wandered until I found Robin here in Jump City. When Starfire escaped from captivity to earth we all helped to subdue her…and it went from there. Later Robin asked me to join. He had more faith in me then I had in myself."

She watched as Danny widened his eyes, obviously surprised that she was so willing to share information. She figured that her team knew, if Danny was going to live here with them she might as well trust him too.

"That's…thank you…for trusting me." He finally answered her and Raven felt inclined to nod her head. Trust had to start somewhere right? Robin had taught her that, maybe she could help Danny trust them.

"What is it like to be human?" Raven asked in genuine. Danny snorted in response causing Raven to quirk her brow.

"Being a human is…normal. That's all we know how to do. Survive, live, and feel. It can be vulnerable as a human but it also makes me feel free. There's no weight bearing responsibility to protect, or any real expectations to be anything." Danny looked down at his mug. Raven hoped her silence was encouragement to continue.

"It's probably nothing like being a hero."

Raven looked at him, expression blank before allowing a small grimace to grace her features.

"Being a hero can definitely be weight bearing and burdening, but it's worth it if a life is saved."

Danny nodded respectfully though it seemed cold,

"Unfortunately not everyone can be saved." He got up and put his mug in the sink, bid her goodnight and walked away leaving Raven to her thoughts. The phrase stuck with her, over and over again until early hours in the morning when she finally got up to walk to her room. She didn't know Danny was still awake in his own room, submersing himself in his research trying in vain to forget what happened that day. The day his family was killed. And even as Phantom he could not do a thing to stop it.

* * *

A/N: Again, there has been some criticism that has come to my attention and of course I don't want to ignore it. I am seriously considering rewriting it or just scrapping it altogether.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Wow, the overwhelming positive response from you all has given me confidence and incentive to continue. Thank you so much for your encouragement, sometimes as a writer you wonder if what you're doing is actually 'good'. I really needed to read what you all had to say, and I'm very thankful for all of the constructive criticism you have to offer. So without further adieu, I give you the next chapter. (More build up)

* = added notes at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 4

* * *

"Uhh…yes?" Danny asked when he opened the door to see the green changeling practically fuming at him. He considered shutting the door back in his face momentarily but Beast Boy's outburst stopped him.

"Dude you've been stuck in your room for a week! You're just as bad Robin!" He yelled. His voice carried through the hallway to catch the attention of the others. It was true Danny _had_ been in his room for about a week now, but no one had gathered the courage to knock on his door. They figured Beast Boy was practically begging for a death wish because he then proceeded to grab Danny's arm and pull him out the door. Danny was too stunned at the action to resist.

"It's our day off and we're all going to the park. And you're coming with us." Beast Boy added and continued to drag Danny through the corridor passed his friends who eyed them in astonishment. It took Danny another minute before he finally stopped walking and he quirked a brow in question to Robin who merely shrugged,

"Not my idea, but it _is_ a good idea Danny. Even heroes need a break every once in awhile."

Danny managed a slight scowl while Beast Boy began tugging at his arm again. He wasn't sure if he was doing it to be annoying or persistent, but Danny was definitely getting annoyed.

"There's still more things I need to do in order to follow my next lead." He protested calmly.

"Please friend Danny, you must join us! For we plan on having a most wonderful time at the park." Danny looked up to see Stafire's pleading eyes. He stared at her for a minute then averted his eyes and sighed in defeat, not wanting to see the disappointment in hers,

"Fine." He allowed both Beast Boy and Starfire to quickly tug him to the T-Car, ignoring their shouts of satisfaction. He was pretty sure they held onto him so he couldn't change his mind and turn back around to his room. The others followed shortly after with pleasant surprise, who knew Starfire would ultimately be the one to finally get him to spend more time with them?

"Booyah!" Cyborg yelled as he ran to the driver's seat. He was glad that Danny was coming but even more excited for the day off. It had been a long time since any of the Titans were able to just relax. The others all piled in, Robin opting to take his R-Cycle so there would be enough room for Danny who sighed again, this time in irritation. Starfire and Beast Boy managed to push him in the middle while Raven slipped silently in the passenger's seat. She looked back and gave him a pointed look making him roll his eyes. The message was clear: Don't disappoint Starfire. Meaning he had to participate in most activities, joy.

The ride was short which Danny was thankful for because Beast Boy constantly chattered to no one in particular while Starfire would gasp, point, and shout with glee at anything she found worthy of drawing attention to on the way there. That left Danny crossing his arms looking very displeased in the middle.

"Oh glorious, friends! It is such a wonderful day and there are many children to run and play with!" Starfire shouted and clapped her hands, spinning around in the air with joy when they finally stopped and made it out of the car. Danny simply raised his eyebrows where Raven remained silent.

"Yeah maybe they'd wanna play stankball with us, whaddya think Cy?" Beast Boy asked producing said stank ball. The smell has almost palpable and Danny really tried his best to resist the urge to gag. Needless to say he failed.

"I don't think that 's a good idea BB." Cyborg put his hand on Beast Boy's shoulder who slumped in response, putting it away.

After Robin showed up and parked his R-Cycle the team started towards a particular shady area under a large oak tree. Raven was the first to sit down after they spread out a picnic blanket, and was content to read her book. Danny begrudgingly sat beside her while the others kicked around a soccer ball. Soon enough some of the kids wandered over and they were happy to let them join. Danny smiled unconsciously as he watched some of the kids cheer when they scored against Robin who then high-fived them.

Danny didn't notice as Raven stopped reading to instead watch him. It was interesting to look at one's expressions when they were seemingly unguarded and the small smile that graced his features almost made her want to smile as well. It was the most she had seen him smile the entire time he was with them, which of course wasn't very long. If she focused she could begin to feel emotion slowly lapping from his unguarded aura. She felt melancholy.

"Why don't you play with them?" Raven asked him and was only slightly surprised to see his smile immediately disappear and instead replacing it with a faint frown. She felt his emotions seal back off completely.

"Don't know how." His response was curt and she didn't pry although she knew it was a lie, even she knew how to play soccer.

Danny on the other hand, was having a hard time trying to relax. With the case on his mind, more than once he caught himself analyzing the park, looking for anything. There was some movement to the left of him and he turned curiously. Raven followed his gaze and widened her eyes.

"Run!" Danny grabbed her hand and they scrambled up (as eloquently as they could) just as Beast Boy and Cyborg along with a few kids sprinted towards them with water balloons. Apparently they had snuck off without either of them realizing it. Raven was just a bit slower which ultimately led to her demise. By choosing her book over her own welfare she surrendered to the kids as they completely doused her with the balloons.

Later that day she would admit to herself it was worth being drenched over if only to hear the sound of Danny laughing uncontrollably beside her. For now though, she was going to get even.

"So you think that's funny?" Danny heard the smirk in her voice a moment too late and his eyes widened as she drew her powers to bring the remaining water balloons out of Beast Boy's and Cyborg's hands. In an instant Danny was drenched. Everyone was suddenly quiet, not sure how he was going to react. He stood very still with a strange haze in his eyes. Another minute passed by and then he started to chuckle. Beast Boy joined and then it turned to giggles. Starfire covered her hands over her mouth in amusement. After another minute he sobered and Raven almost missed the evil glint in his eyes, she took a step back warily as he smirked and walked towards her in a predatory manner.

"Oh, it's on."

Needless to say after that, everyone on the team was thoroughly covered in water save Cyborg who had a legitimate excuse. Even Robin was drenched after Danny and Starfire surprise attacked him (Well what really happened was Starfire held him down while Danny pegged him but it still counts). Danny couldn't remember the last time he had a day off just to have fun. He was pleasantly surprised to find that he was actually having a great time and he found himself laughing without it having to seem forced.

The others were busy spraying each other and the kids with water guns, which Danny was honestly not sure how they got a hold of, when it happened. Just a few short seconds was all he had to prepare when he jumped and tackled one of the kids out of the way of an attack, not even having time to yell a warning. He rolled over with the boy, nearly missing another attack. Electricity shot through the ground beside them and Danny gritted his teeth, shielding his body from the child. Immediately the team was in battle mode, it looked like it was-

"Overload! Get the kids out of range!" Robin yelled and threw a few disks that exploded upon contact, leaving Overload temporarily distracted. Starfire lifted two in the air and out of Overload's electric shots, towards their parents. Raven grabbed the others and Beast Boy groaned, transforming into a T-Rex.

"Come on, this is our day off!" He whined and rammed overload in his side throwing him off balance though not for long. Danny looked down to see the boy unconscious. He cursed and quickly picked him up, cradling him as his eyes searched for his parents. He spotted them yelling a good distance away and Danny took off in a sprint not bothering to look behind him.

"He's okay, the blast just shocked him. Take him to the hospital anyway." He ordered when he reached the parents who graciously took them while simultaneously thanking him. Another explosion prevented him from talking to them further.

He turned to see that Overload had short circuited Cyborg's arm causing a sonic blast to spurt out right at Raven. The two fell and Cyborg didn't get up. Overload came closer to the half human, intent on finishing him when Robin drove him back with his bo-staff. Overload threw him into Starfire and together they landed in the swings becoming entangled with the chains.

Danny looked around quickly, scanning the park. There had to be a water source somewhere…there! The fire hydrant stood roughly 100 yards away. Beast Boy rammed into Overload again, knocking him about 10 yards closer.

"Raven, the hydrant!" Danny called to her and she looked in the direction of his gaze. Recognition flashed in her features and she nodded in understanding before throwing up a shield as Overload threw electricity in her direction. Danny narrowed his eyes when Overload turned to focus his attention on him.

Robin and Starfire managed to disentangle themselves and Danny jumped out of the way as Overload shot electricity straight at him. He flipped backwards once and then again as it followed him. He widened his eyes as he watched Overload's form dissipate and then follow the flow of the electricity. It then appeared right in front of him and he wrapped himself around Danny who cried out in shock, faintly hearing someone call his name.

First he felt shock, then pain. Then strangely the pain subsided shortly aftter and all he felt was the odd thrum of electricity coursing through his body. His eyes widened in understanding when he realized that it was his ghost core. * It had neutralized the electricity Overload had tried to overwhelm him with and was keeping him from being shocked. Overload seemed to notice he wasn't having any effect on him either, because he let go allowing Danny to fall to the ground on his hands and knees. Robin threw another disk that exploded leaving Overload encased in ice.

He broke free and Danny was quick to react. Danny ran and used his distraction to jump right onto Overload. He un-clipped the gun at his side and shot a few rounds where he thought his central system would be. He then covered his ears when Overload shouted an eerily static like yell in pain. Danny looked up to see that Raven had made it to the hydrant. He jumped back off and kicked Overload to the ground leaving him momentarily hindered. Robin took the time to throw another disk encasing him with ice once again.

"Raven, now!" Robin ordered, and with a shout of her mantra Raven sent water spiraling in Overload's direction just as he freed himself from the ice. Danny quickly flipped out of reach. There was a pause, and then Overload visibly shook and there was an audible noise of electrical blasts. Soon after he fell to the ground in a heap, finally rendered useless. The Titans didn't hear the cheers, or the flash of the cameras or the reporters, they were used to that. Robin turned to help Danny on shaky feet while the others went to Cyborg who was now conscious. Robin turned to Danny, clearly surprised and slightly skeptical. There was no way a human could endure an electrical shock like that and remain unscathed, though Robin didn't bother to question him, for now.

"Are you alright?" He asked and watched as Danny nodded in response and then shake him off. Without a word he began to walk off in a different direction than the others and Robin raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Starfire however did,

"Danny to where are you traveling?"

They all watched as he hesitated, then turned back to face her. They were surprised that he actually answered,

"To the hospital, I won't be long."

Although Danny was walking to specifically check on the boy he tackled earlier, he also needed time to think. It was frustrating how easy it seemed for him to fall back into the mindset of a hero, and to fight so fluidly alongside of the Titans even in his human form was alarming. He didn't really want this did he? It was purely instinctual to save the boy and if Danny thought back on it, he wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

What was really bothering him though, was that his ghost powers seemed to have acted out on their own accord. He tried so hard to keep his powers dormant, and one fight with a meta-being had drawn them back so reflexively. If he were to stay with the Titans and continue on with this case, how long would it be before he would be tempted to use even more of his powers?

As hard as he tried to forget, the day he lost his family played like a broken record in his mind, over and over again. In an attempt to save them, it was his powers that had failed. He couldn't reach them in time before the blast took them,* and although he knew there was no way he could have known about it he still blamed himself. If he was just one step closer, one second faster, then maybe…just maybe they could have been saved. But they weren't, and although Danny would do anything to have them back, he can't. When he chose to stop using his powers he did it so that he wouldn't have to live with the guilt of not being able to save anyone else, because he wasn't good enough. He didn't want to live with the knowledge that he was responsible for another death, and he didn't want to be a hero. He was always confident he had made the right decision, until now. Watching the Titans he realized that even though they knew they were not invincible, they didn't care. They continued to fight. It made him even more confused about his decision.

Danny cleared his head as he walked up the steps towards the entrance to the building. He found that the boy, who's name was Alex, was indeed alright and only suffered a minor concussion. The doctor recommended he stay overnight just so they could monitor him through the night. Alex was pleased to see Danny and he smiled as he was given the opportunity to personally thank him for saving his life. Danny waved him off and they talked for hours before his parents shooed him out of the room. It was night time and Alex needed rest and Danny chuckled when Alex protested. After all, Danny had plenty of exciting stories to tell that Alex was more than interested in hearing. With a promise that he would visit him sometime he left and started the walk back to the tower which was conveniently five miles away.

It was around midnight when he got back and was rightfully stunned to see everyone waiting on him in the common room. Robin was the first to react,

"I take it your meeting went well?" He gestured to the smile that still remained on Danny's face. To everyone's surprise he kept it.

"Yeah, it did."

"You know it's technically still our day off, wanna watch a movie?" Beast Boy asked, his question directed towards Danny. He looked at everyone, they were all grinning albeit tired. He paused for a moment, then grinned boyishly and they were all reminded just how young he really was.

"Sure, if I get to pick it out."

Danny simply laughed when it started a very heated argument between Cyborg and Beast Boy which ended in reprimand from Raven. Eventually they were all able to agree on a movie and they watched it. After the movie everyone got up to walk to their respective rooms.

As Danny walked back to his room his last thought before he fell asleep was 'Maybe the Titans weren't so bad after all.'

* * *

So being with the Titans is making Danny reconsider his decision to swear off his powers. More to come later, I'm absolutely thrilled when I can have enough buildup to start putting my plot into action. Keep Reviewing, and thanks guys. I really appreciate you all.

*Danny has Cyrokensis, the ability to manipulate ice/water. It occurred to me that naturally they would be a part of his ghost core and would kick in instinctively in order to preserve his life.

* The blast has no correlation to TUE (The Ultimate Enemy) and Dan will not be making an appearance in this Fic.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

It was early morning when the alarm blared through the tower. Danny was never quite able to get accustomed to the sound, and each time he would nearly jump. This morning would make no difference, and he shot up from his bed disoriented as he stumbled towards the common room in only his boxer shorts. Later he would realize his state of undress, and might have had the decency to act embarrassed, but at this moment he was more concerned about what exactly was going on. It was a day away from the next expected disappearance and he didn't think it was a coincidence for the alarm to go off.

He walked in, still groggy from sleep, and ignored the blatant stares, or in Raven's and Starfire's case, a barely contained blush.

For Raven however, it took all of her self-control to not stare at his admittedly well-defined abdomen.

"What is it?" He asked, his voice still husky from sleep, not one for pleasantries. Robin looked curiously at him for a moment before turning his attention back to the screen. He was more alert than the rest of the team, save Raven, but that was because he hadn't slept at all.

"The figures are back, same place. It looks like they're fighting another meta-human. It's too dark to tell."

Danny cursed, he didn't expect them to attack so early.

"Expect them to be able to fly and have magical abilities. And chances are they may have others under their control, literally. Don't let them capture whoever they're trying to take, and if you see a green light, Stay. Away. There's no telling what they might do if they think they can get their hands on a Titan."

He gave a pointed look towards Robin who only looked at him in slight bewilderment. How much research had Danny actually done without him? And more importantly, why would the figures target him and his team?

"Don't bother waiting for me, I'll catch up!" Danny then yelled over his shoulder as he jumped over the couch and ran to get clothes. He faintly heard Robin's signature cry of 'Titan's Go!' before he heard them dash out towards the fight that was currently going on in the alleyway. Danny rushed to grab his gun, Fenton Bazooka, and Fenton Thermos. He wasn't sure if they were ghosts but he wasn't going to take any chances. He knew that this would raise questions, particularly from Robin, but the chance to catch one of the shadow figures was more appealing.

He quickly grabbed a t-shirt and black pants, slipped on his black combat boots, and strapped on a utility belt not unlike Robin's before sprinting out the door and getting into his black four-door car. Fortunately the scene wasn't too far away so Danny was hoping he'd have time to catch up.

Danny urged the feeling of apprehension away and focused his eyes on the road. It was quiet and empty, still in the early hours of the morning where most people would still be asleep. This case was beginning to aggravate him, and he berated himself for even taking it in the first place. Although Danny would be the most equipped being available to fight these entities it unnerved him. They didn't seem like ghosts but it still felt like he was fighting them. That made the temptation to use his powers even harder.

He drove a few more blocks and sure enough saw flashes of green along with Starfire's star bolts and Raven's dark magic. He parked a few blocks away and clipped his hand gun to one side of his belt with the Thermos on the other. He ran quietly with the Bazooka in his hand, pointed downwards.

He turned the corner and widened his eyes. He could guess there were probably about ten shadow figures fighting with the Titans. He scanned the scene to find Robin currently fighting the meta, it must be a criminal. The problem was the alleyway was such a compacted space the Titans could hardly get in a shot without inadvertently shooting one another, and it looked like Cyborg's blasts didn't have any effect on the figures anyway. Starfire watched helplessly not wanting to risk a Starbolt hitting one of her friends as Beast Boy attempted to hit the figures. He was in the form of a cheetah and his claws would just pass straight through. Raven's seemed to have an impact and she was working to use her powers to rope in a few of the figures away from the others.

"X!" Danny turned his attention to see Robin fighting the black and white figure who was currently ducking from Robin's side kick. Red X put his hands up, claiming innocence.

"I have nothing to do with this Chuckles, I swear! They were trying to kidnap me first!"

The figures turned their attention on the two after his outburst and Red X was suddenly thrown back against the wall and Robin was thrown back into the other as two distinct figures raised their arms. Danny chose this time to intervene, he jumped back and shot an ecto-blast at both figures. They hissed when the blast hit them, taking them back. So that meant they were spirits, though Danny wasn't exactly sure they were ghosts. His ghost sense still hadn't went off the entire time.

He walked steadily to Robin who had already gotten up as he shot another blast towards an oncoming figure. It made an awful unnatural hissing noise and Danny resisted the urge to cover his ears. It flew back and made another noise, akin to a yell and the other shadow figures looked back. Raven cried out in pain when the figures released power that contradicted her own. She let go and they flew up higher, and Danny widened his eyes in recognition as one of the figures pointed one hand at Red-X and the other was pointed towards Robin.

"Watch out!" Danny barely had time to yell before he dashed, tackling Robin in the process who didn't have time to register Danny's words. The others shouted and Raven threw up a black shield around the two. In an instant, green illuminated the area and suddenly it was gone again along with the figures and Red-X.

After a moment of silence Danny moved to the side to let Robin up. He returned the grim smile Robin gave him of thanks and they helped each other to their feet. The entire battle may have lasted only a few minutes.

"Dude what was that?" Beast Boy asked breaking the silence. Everyone turned to look at Raven who merely shrugged,

"Dark spirits."

"Like the spirits who attacked us when Trigon took over?" Cyborg asked the empath who pursed her lips slightly. To the untrained eye she remained stoic however Robin could see just how uncomfortably she was, he saw as her fingers itched to wrap around the cloth of her cloak.

"They are similar yes, but they are not associated with Trigon. Otherwise I would show the marks of Scath. It seems someone has managed to take control over a distinct group of spirits from the spirit world."

"So how was Danny's gun able to shoot them?"

There was a tense silence and everyone turned their eyes to Danny in question. Danny contemplated how he could lie, he wasn't new to making up excuses on a whim. He had had plenty of practices with his parents after all. But they weren't his parents, and they would know if he was lying, and wouldn't allow any explanation besides the truth. He could at least give him that, and reveal some of his past. He sighed as he prepared exactly what he wanted to tell them.

"My parents were…ghost hunters. They were also scientists and inventors, and were able to successfully make weapons to use against them. It was common where I used to live for ghosts to show up and terrorize the citizens there, so my family made it their goal to protect them. I didn't know if it was actually going to work against them, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try."

The explanation was slow and deliberate as if Danny was careful of each choice of word. The Titans listened intently, it wasn't everyday for Danny to share a part of his past. Actually, he never did. Danny of course knew about Raven, and in time he came to learn about Beast Boy and Cyborg. Starfire told Danny about her past the first day he arrived at the tower, though Danny wasn't as forthcoming when it came to talking about his past. Danny even knew Robin's secret identity though Robin never actually told him. He had a sneaking suspicion that Danny had done more than his fair share of research on the Titan's leader.

"That…is awesome!"

Danny's eyes landed on Beast Boy's who yelled in excitement. He managed a small smile of amusement before frowning slightly. Sure it was pretty cool, until your parents vowed to hunt you down and 'tear you apart molecule by molecule.' Still, he'd give anything to have that back.

"Sure, it didn't do anything to help my popularity though." He retorted and crossed his arms. He still remembered everyday of High School where Dash made it his goal to practice on Danny, making him his own personal punching bag.

Although Beast Boy was excited, that couldn't quite be said for the others. Starfire of course did not understand so she was unaffected, more perplexed than anything as was Raven and Cyborg. Robin however was silent, and his face completely neutral.

"So we're dealing with a bunch of dark spirits that are being controlled into kidnapping metas for their own bidding?" Cyborg asked perplexedly and only raised his eyebrows to see Danny's blunt nod.

"Basically yeah, they're targeting people with a wide-range of abilities but there's a small similarity between all of the victims. Most have the ability to fly, and are very knowledgeable about the area. They know all the ins and outs of Jump City and have undoubtedly lived here most of their lives."

There was a pause as everyone took in the new information. Danny had been doing most of the research concerning this specific case because it was his purpose being at the Tower. It was also notable that the others were distracted, which at this point couldn't be considered a coincidence, by the sheer amount of criminal activity that had sky-rocketed just recently. Most times Danny opted to stay at the Tower, not that they expected him to fight anyway because he was only a detective, and would stay behind to work on the case. He had almost been able to pinpoint the exact time they would strike the next day, and had made plans very similar to an ambush. It was clear to Danny however, whoever it was he was trying to catch, was very aware of the detective's intentions and had moved the timing of the event.

"We need to find out what X was doing here. If we find his motives, then we find what they're using to lure people out."

Robin stated and Danny gave him a curt nod, accepting the assignment. He could spend the next few hours going over the security cameras, interviewing some of the people near the bar, maybe even talk to the owner himself (undercover of course), and then-

"Well we can't do anything without proper sleep."

Beast Boy interrupted Danny's thoughts and made a point to yawn, very loudly. He rolled his eyes, really, Beast Boy could be such a child.

"You guys go ahead, I'm going to scout out the area."

Danny was met with silence including raised eyebrows and Raven was the first one to respond,

"At four in the morning? Who are you going to interview, the garbage bin rotting in the corner?"

Danny's deadpan look told her everything, he did not appreciate her sarcasm. He could have sworn he saw the ghost of a smile pass her face before she turned away.

"Yeah man, come on. Get some sleep with the rest of us and you can get back to work later when everyone is awake." Cyborg added causing Danny's shoulders to slump. They did have a point, and he _was_ still exhausted. His dreams were becoming more vivid and most times he opted for no sleep at all rather than succumb to what seemed to be a nightmare.

The rest of the team was relieved to have Danny agree, and then make his way back towards his car, keys in hand. Danny didn't see the look of communication cross between Robin and Raven before the empath strode to catch up, walking silently beside him. He rose and eyebrow in question looking sideways at her. She didn't bother to shrug,

"I'm going with you to make sure you don't change your mind last minute. I am aware that proper sleeping methods are required for young men, and that you have not been getting enough."

Her statement was enough to earn her a glance of surprise and she withheld her smirk. She knew of course that Danny wasn't getting sleep, if the bags under his eyes weren't any indication. Danny's mouth turned downwards in disapproval before lifting back up with a smirk. Raven wasn't sure which look she preferred,

"Alright, buckle up then. That is if you still want to ride."

Raven bristled in response and would really rather smack the smirk right off his face. Instead she took a breath and gathered her next words,

"I'm not sure if that is meant to be a true insinuation of your reckless driving abilities, or if it is simply an empty threat to try and keep me away."

Danny spared her a short laugh, the sound beginning to become accustomed to the empath and she nearly smiled in response. Danny looked at her fully and shoved down the sudden urge to draw closer to her. It was true he didn't really want her with him because he made it a point to keep everyone away from him physically and emotionally.

"Try both."

Raven wasn't sure if she should be offended or fearful. She contemplated her next words for a moment before saying them rather bluntly,

"You do realize that your attempts to push them away will go unheeded. It is not in their nature as a team to hold everyone at a distance."

Danny snorted rather loudly in response masking his discomfort though Raven was not fooled,

"It's easier not to get involved emotionally, not to mention, professionally expected."

Raven watched his face turn to what looked like a grimace. She decided to push further,

"Be that as it may, that leads to quite a lonely life don't you think?"

Danny knew the conversation had turned personal, and there was no doubt Raven was reading every emotion he couldn't reign in himself. It made the atmosphere around them tense, but it was his fault. He really didn't want to have this conversation. He tried his best to keep the resentment out of his voice but he failed,

"Seems rather ironic that the local mystic who specializes in shutting everyone out would choose to lecture me on the detrimental effects of social isolation."

Raven did her best to remain unaffected although the statement bothered her deeply. Fortunately Danny didn't notice, too focused on the intricate patterns on the sidewalk before them,

"My friends didn't give up on me, and they won't give up on you either. Haven't you ever had an intimate relationship with close friends and family?'

Danny didn't answer for a while and together they walked in silence. Usually Raven wouldn't have minded the silence, and would even welcome it, but now it seemed to grow more tense as it continued. Danny _did_ have an intimate relationship with his parents, and also Sam and Tucker for that matter. It was great, and he loved it. He loved them all and he had trusted each of them with no hesitation at all. The love that he had with his family only made the pain even worse when he lost them. He didn't want to go through that again. Danny did well to keep his composure and Raven thanked him quietly when he opened the door for her. It was only when he got in on his own side, cranked the engine, and went to pull out onto the road when Raven spoke again,

"You may be able to hide behind a façade in front of some of the others, but you don't fool me. I know you're hurting, I can feel your sorrow in your aura wherever you go. You don't have to tell me what happened to you, and you don't need to for me to be able to tell that it was tragic. We've all been through some pretty tragic things Danny, but my family helps me through. Keeping everyone at a distance will not help you."

Danny gripped the steering wheel tightly and Raven could see him physically restraining an overwhelming emotion that threatened to release. Who was she to talk to him like that? Little did he know Raven was trying to get him to unleash his emotions. She could see that he kept his rage, and his sorrow bottled up so tightly it was unhealthy and was seeping into his very core, she of all people would know. He needed to let go.

"Save me the lecture Raven, it's not like you're so innocent to point fingers at me. You don't think I see you struggle with your own emotions? I see you battling rage everyday. You're so afraid of becoming your father you won't even allow yourself to feel at all. So next time you want me talk to about confronting what I'm feeling, make sure you do it yourself first."

He looked over to see Raven clenching her fists, her jaw was tight in barely contained anger. Maybe he had each pushed too far? His relationship with Raven was fragile at best, and he was pretty sure this confrontation would not help them at all. Raven turned her head to look fiercely at him making Danny look away with his eyes on the road.

"I can feel more than you think, I am very aware of what I'm feeling thank you. Your problem is you ignore any aspect of yourself that is emotional. You're _afraid_ of allowing yourself to feel any positive emotion towards others unless it's kindness. And your anger? Your grief? You're pushing it away, you need to confront it and you need to do it soon before you destroy yourself in the process."

Raven was surprised that Danny hadn't already turned on her in anger and realized that he was containing it. Danny didn't want to know just how much her words were affecting him and he did his best to keep the cool exterior. Truthfully it was if her words had physically come out of her mouth to smack him across the face and shaking him awake from his own slumber of callousness. Had he really shut himself from the world so much that it was affecting his very being?

Danny said nothing and Raven was all too welcoming for the silence. when they got back to the tower each of them stormed to their own respective rooms, ignoring each other when they had to cross paths, and slammed their door shut causing the others to look at them questioningly. They sting of each other's words were still fresh in their minds and they were both stubborn, each not willing to let the matter go just yet. Danny knew later he would eventually seek Raven out and apologize, however he was too mad at the moment. Raven's intent to draw out his emotions had failed, and instead Danny only shoved the feeling of hopelessness away. It left him drained and the knot in his stomach that had formed during their conversation had yet to relax. He was sure he wouldn't get any sleep the rest of the morning.

Raven had a different thought process, and with her training and with the help of her friends she had learned to confront her own feelings head on, and intended to meditate the rest of the morning in Nevermore and she would be sure not to come out until she was calm and collected, lest she say anything else to hurt anyone.

The team were used to each of them doing that repeatedly at different times of course, but not because of each other. Cyborg looked between Beast Boy and Robin while Starfire looked on worriedly,

"What the hell? They only drove for ten minutes."

The others shook their heads, it was beyond them what made each of them angry. Robin wasn't worried however and simply shrugged. He had figured them both out well enough to know that they would be okay. Maybe Raven had managed to get under Danny's cold exterior. Maybe Danny was just frustrated that there was a part of him that knew Raven was right, and he was afraid because maybe, just maybe, he was beginning to become attached to the Titans.

* * *

A/N:More to come on Danny's emotional storm (as I have been referring it to)

Next: Will Raven keep trying to get Danny to open up? And what will happen when the mail comes?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A/N: I desperately need a Beta-Reader.

I've updated the rating to T for violence and angst.

* * *

 _It was more vivid this time. He could clearly see the panicked faces of his family as they lived their last moments. He could still pick out the small details of their faces. He watched as his own gloved hand reached out in vain, pushing his limits to fly faster only to have the force of the blast push him back hundreds of feet away from his home. He heard his own scream, releasing pain, desperation, and pure agony. There were no ghosts, no people, and Danny realized the bomb for what it was a moment too late. He could still feel the heat of the blast, and the smell of sulfur in the air. He had been coming back from his own patrol, his powers and his obsession to protect kept him away from being able to save his own family. It was a continued nightmare, the memory played over and over again, reminding him of what he lost. His mind ridiculed him for being weak, mocked him for swearing off his powers, telling him he wouldn't ever be a hero._

"Danny."

 _The scene changed to the woman with ocean blue eyes with just a hint of lavender. She looked panicked, calling out to someone in the shadows and yelling for them to please stop. She ran, sobbing, begging to allow him to live._

"Danny!"

 _He was suddenly fighting someone, and their hands found their way around his neck, crushing his windpipe. He struggled to breathe, he thrashed around releasing a cry when the hands only squeezed tighter around his neck. His vision began to fade, he was losing consciousness._

"Danny!"

He shot up from his bed, grabbing the hands that were around his shoulders and flipped them over reflexively. He heard a faint grunt before the hands were back on him and he suddenly found himself being pinned back down to his bed. His eyes widened in blind panic, and he clawed at the strong arms holding him down. He still couldn't see and he was too disoriented, unsure if what he dreamt was real,

"Danny, calm down! You were having a nightmare!"

Robin shook Danny once and then twice before his eyes focused, landing on him with fear swirling in his blue irises. The domino masked leader looked down at him, his features furrowed with deep concern. A moment passed and Danny breathed heavily, releasing his grip on the leader and he put a shaky hand through his hair. Robin watched him carefully before letting go allowing Danny to sit back up slowly.

"I-I'm sorry."

Robin regarded him silently for a moment as Danny blinked away the remnants of the dream. Danny always seemed calm and collected if not a little detached, it was odd to see him in such a vulnerable state.

"What's going on?"

Raven teleported into Danny's room, having heard both Danny's and Robin's shouts. It was a wonder no one else had heard, but then again they were on the other wing of the tower.

Danny's eyes tentatively met Raven's, their argument hours before still fresh in his mind. Raven lowered her hood slowly, already reaching her hand out to Danny's forehead to calm him. Usually Danny had a tight reign on all of his emotions and Raven had to focus in order to feel them, but now they were coming off of him in waves and they were sporadically moving about out of control in sync with his erratic heartbeat.

When Raven's cool hand touched his she nearly withdrew it, it was hot.

"You're burning up."

"I'm fine." Danny answered her, not meeting her or Robin's eyes. With shaky movements he shrugged off their protests and clenched his jaw. He balled his fists to keep them from shaking, he felt dizzy and hot. The dream was still vivid in his mind, and Robin stayed close by when he closed his eyes and leaned back against the headboard as if he were in pain. He flinched back when Raven touched him again, firmly. Her eyes met his determinedly,

"I can help."

Robin watched the scene closely, she wanted to calm his emotions. He knew that because he let her inside his mind once, and the bond that had been created was still there. There were even times that he could feel what she was feeling if an emotion were particularly strong.

She was giving Danny a choice, she didn't want to interfere if he didn't want her to. She knew from their conversation that he was afraid of getting close to the Titans however she still wished to help. She watched him shut his eyes tightly as if he were in some sort of physical pain and the shaking in his hands became worse. If she weren't watching his face closely she might have missed the almost imperceptible nod of his head.

A few seconds later he heard Raven chant her mantra lowly, and he felt the thrum of her power when she touched his forehead as she willed his emotions to calm. His body temperature began to cool. He felt the anxiety lessen, and his breathing slowly returned to normal while she willed the grief away that threatened to overwhelm him leaving him with a slight feeling of nostalgia.

When Raven felt that he was calm enough she withdrew her hand only to have him grab it. She looked back to him in alarm and he smiled though it was grim,

"Thank you."

She smiled softly in return and she squeezed his hand before letting go,

"You're welcome. I do it for the others all the time."

Robin gave a half-smile, remembering the times that Raven had come to his room when he was drowning in his own nightmares.

A few minutes later after they both were certain Danny was okay they finally left to their own respective rooms to continue with sleep. Danny was too exhausted to stay up and slowly he returned to sleep, this time it was peaceful.

Later that morning Danny was the first one up. He walked carefully into the kitchen to not wake anyone and prepared a pot of coffee knowing that Robin would also want a cup when he woke up. He then set another small pot of tea specifically for Raven also knowing that would be the first thing she would want when she woke up. In all honesty he felt bad they both were disrupted in sleep because of him not to mention how grateful he was, especially for Raven's help. He wasn't sure how long it would be before he got over his dreams if it weren't for her.

Danny walked over in bare feet to the couch in the common room when he poured his cup of coffee and sat down. He was still in his sweatpants and white t-shirt and hadn't thought to change. He mindlessly sipped his drink while his mind wandered in thought. Part of him was mulling over the case and the recent fight with the shadow figures while another fought for attention concerning the argument he had with Raven. There was no doubt that they were both over it now after what she did for him, but her words still rang in his mind. He had to admit the truth, he was starting to care for the Titans, and he was already pretty sure they cared for him. He was beginning to look at them as if they were his friends, and it terrified him.

"Can I sit with you?"

Danny jumped as he was jarred from his thoughts, berating himself for allowing her to sneak up on him. He nodded in silence and she sat down next to him with a mug of tea in one hand, a book in another. Danny looked over at her and wondered if she always wore her uniform, even in sleep.

"Thank you, for the tea." Raven broke the silence and looked up to see Danny still looking at her. She raised a slender brow in response making Danny smile sincerely,

"I really should be the one thanking you." Was the reply and Raven waved a hand delicately, shrugging him off,

"Even the most emotionally composed cannot defend their own subconscious mind at times."

Her statement caused Danny to lay back in thought once more and Raven was comfortable in the silence, this time welcoming. One of the things she liked about Danny was that he was never one for small talk, and was content to sit for hours in remote quiet.

She slowly sipped her tea until Robin walked in with a cup of coffee in hand a few minutes later. He grunted a greeting before slumping down beside Raven. She didn't bother to answer knowing that Robin needed at least half an hour before he was willing to partake in any conversation. Sure he loved mornings, and would soon be energetic and hopeful at the sun that was beginning to rise over the horizon, but if he ever allowed himself to sleep in he would always need time to wake up.

Danny was content to sit with the two and was grateful that they didn't push him to talk about his dream. He never talked about what happened to anyone, and outright refused any answers if anyone asked questions. As much as he hated it and tried to forget it, he had to mentally force the nagging urge to open up and talk about it with them, it was strange.

Robin was intelligent. He knew Danny wasn't just an ordinary detective. He knew he was hiding something, and could see the signs of post-traumatic stress. Something traumatic had happened to him, and he could easily tell because Robin had been the same way. His friends helped ease the pain of losing his own parents, and it was especially easier that Raven now knew. He could talk to her about anything, and he wanted to be there if any of his teammates needed to vent, Danny included.

It wasn't too much longer before the others woke up with all of their optimistic energy (which was mostly Starfire). By then Robin had long finished his cup of coffee and was making plans for their training session tomorrow if nothing came up. Raven had already begun her book and Danny was still nursing his own cup, lightly scratching at the stubble that had begun to grow on his face. He made a note to shave later.

"Good morning friends! Oh is it not the most wonderful morning today? The sun is most beautiful against the ocean waves!"

The others simply nodded as Cyborg made his way over along with Beast Boy. The morning ritual had begun and Beast Boy seemed determined to make tofu eggs for everyone. Raven sighed, must they always argue in the morning?

"Come on Cy! You know I can't eat that stuff!" Beast Boy exclaimed, not bothering to contain his shudder. Cyborg already had a retort ready,

"No BB! I don't want to eat that nasty junk, and no one else does either! I'm making bacon, eggs, and waffles and if you don't want it then you don't have to eat!" He replied hastily while getting the ingredients to make breakfast. Beast Boy wasn't deterred, not quite willing to give up just yet,

"Dude one morning of tofu won't hurt anyone!" He pleaded,

Danny rubbed his temples with his fingers and looked to see Raven in a similar state of irritation. He turned around the couch at the two at they continued their argument. Danny had enough and decided to intervene,

"Why don't you make both?" He practically grumbled interrupting their argument and the two turned to him and then back to each other, mouths open.

"Dude."

"Man, why haven't we been doing that before?"

Danny simply gave them a deadpan look before turning back around while Raven rolled her eyes. Robin swore they really were both smarter than they seemed, after all they were Titans right?

The rest of the morning actually went pretty smoothly considering the circumstance. There were no following leads or alarms, and Danny could wait awhile until he stalked out the alleyway again so the team decided to hang out in the common room. Raven had opted to meditate in the living room while Danny was content to watch the others play some video games. He smiled at Beast Boy's enthusiasm and smirked at Robin's competitiveness.

"Hey Danny, wanna play?" Danny turned to see Beast Boy questioning him a few feet away, holding out an extra controller for emphasis. Danny considered for just a moment before shrugging, it couldn't hurt to play just one game.

"Sure, I guess I have some time."

He thought that the smile on the other's faces were worth it.

Unknowing to the others Raven peeked one eye open, and smiled.

* * *

"Booyah, we got mail!" Cyborg yelled to retrieve the bags shortly after the video game tournament had ended, it was now in the afternoon. Robin and Danny had dominated both Beast Boy and Cyborg it was almost embarrassing. Danny found himself genuinely enjoying the time he spent with them, and it took his mind off both the case and his nightmare. Later he would strategize his next move in the case but for now he was content to spend his time with the others.

Cyborg carried all of the bags of mail to their respective owners. They each had at least two full bags of mail, and Starfire and Robin both had an extra no doubt from their fans. Danny raised a brow surprised that so many people would actually take the time to write them. He had never received anything similar to that as Phantom.

Danny watched in amusement as Beast Boy and Cyborg both tore into their letters and set some aside to write back. Starfire on the other hand was much too excited about her mail and was opening them all up as quickly as possible, not even reading them all whereas Robin and Raven both took great care to open each one and read them separately, writing a small response to the ones they thoroughly enjoyed. Most seemed to be drawings from small children to their favorite superheroes, and he knew each Titan all kept them. Others were letters of gratitude from the people they saved individually.

"Danny you have two letters!" Cyborg yelled to him and he got up to take the mail, not surprised. It was common for him to receive mail in the form of bills, threats from other criminals, and other co-workers that wrote him for information, advice, and other business matters. It was also no secret that he had moved in with the Titans, although is was pretty amusing to see what reasons the press managed to come up with for him being there. He took them and grinned as he opened the first. It was from Alex, telling him to come visit soon. He made a mental note to visit his home when he got a chance.

He turned the other letter over and furrowed his brows in confusion. It had no return address and it was bulky. He turned it over in his hands and opened it, a typed card slipped to the floor. He picked it up and read it suddenly paling. It had three words, 'Drop The Case.' with an initial Z. He opened the letter further pulling out whatever else was in the package. He suddenly froze, turning over the photographs. There were multiple pictures of him as Phantom fighting ghosts, flying, or simply sitting in the park. Someone knew his secret and was threatening to exploit it if he continued on with the case. Things just got a lot more complicated,

"Shit."

The others barely had time to turn around to see what was wrong before Danny was gone and out of sight.

* * *

A/N: And the plot begins! P.S. If you're just going to shame my story, just don't even bother reviewing. How many times do I have to say 'Constructive Criticism Only' Jeez.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: * First thing's first. I have to give FULL credit where it's due, to my beta reader: **Astrovagant** *

I cannot thank you enough for everything that you've done to truly transform this piece. It's honestly so much better. With that being said, guys if you ever need a beta reader, astrovagant is the person you want to go to. Hands down the best editor I've met.

Also sorry for the delay, there's been a lot going on and also writer's block. However I'm back with a renewed vigor! I'm so excited for you guys to read this chapter.

Don't forget to read and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans nor Danny Phantom.

* * *

Chapter 7

Danny paced the room erratically, thoughts racing. Someone _knew._ They _knew._ He raked a shaky hand through his hair in distress before grabbing the photographs from where he'd discarded them on his desk. They depicted moments where he'd let down his guard and allowed himself to simply relax in ghost form. It had been _years_ since he'd been seen in his ghost form as Phantom in public. Someone had been keeping tabs on him for _years_ without him having a clue. He shuddered.

His initial thought was that Vlad had been the one threatening him, but upon further contemplation he was sure he couldn't have been involved. They had ended their terms with a truce, and although their relationship was strained at best he was confident that Vlad wouldn't threaten to reveal his alter ego. After all, their secrets were entwined.

He had no idea who else would know his secret, let alone threaten it. Whoever it was had intended to scare him, and, in all honesty, they'd been successful. He hadn't told anyone other than his family, and Sam and Tucker had been with him during the accident.

This train of thought led him to another troubling predicament—should he tell the Titans?

He wasn't sure how they would react to his alter ego. The fact that he'd kept it a secret, no matter what the reason, would be more than enough to make the Titans wary of him. Would it make any difference if he came clean and told them himself? There was a lot of controversy as to whether or not Phantom was truly a hero and he wasn't a fool to think that all of the articles about him wouldn't come up. Did they even know about Phantom? Jump City was halfway across the country from Amity. Surely, his exploits hadn't reached so far, had they?

And above all, how did his secret tie into the case? Why would someone who watched him so closely choose to let him know now? Obviously they'd spent a lot of time accumulating this much evidence. How did all of this relate to his ghost half? Spirits were involved—that much Danny knew, but there was absolutely no one he could think of that could have access to so many personal photos and send them to his human half as Fenton. It wasn't a coincidence. It had to be someone who was knowledgeable about ghosts and the supernatural, along with metas and other superheroes and villains. But who?

Danny groaned in frustration. It didn't make sense. He knew he couldn't just drop the case, especially now since someone was making such a great effort to keep him away, but was he willing to risk his secret for it? In all honesty, it wouldn't really make much of a difference as to whether he continued the case or not. There was no guarantee that they wouldn't use his secret against him even if he did drop it. They could use it against him at any other moment in his life. Letting them use it to scare him off now would only delay the inevitable.

A sharp rap against the door made Danny jump, jerking him out of his thoughts violently. He quickly shoved the photos in his drawer before releasing a deep breath. He had to tell the Titans about his past. They would ask questions and they deserved answers, and honestly Danny wasn't confident he could handle the situation by himself.

He walked to open the door, hesitating a moment before turning the handle. Robin peered at him through his domino mask, lips pursed with concern. His stance was tense with barely composed apprehension as Danny schooled his expression into a neutral one.

Robin wasted no time in asking the dreaded question, "What's wrong?"

Danny tightened his lips in a straight line, contemplating his next words, "I'm not sure…" he trailed off before meeting the leader's eyes, "The card, it's a threat…to drop the case."

He was careful not to mention the photographs, at least for now. This wasn't the time for impulsive decisions. He needed more time to decide what he really wanted to do.

Robin regarded him in a serious manner, not unlike how he dealt his team before battle or the press afterwards. He didn't take threats lightly, and this was clearly a big deal for it to have affected Danny so negatively. He was silent for a moment before he spoke coming to a decision, "If you want to drop the case I won't stop you. I only hired you to find answers. We can pick up where you left off, I'm not going to risk putting your life in danger by forcing you to continue."

Danny looked at him in surprise, shocked by his concern.

Quickly, he shook his head, "No. I can't just drop it, not when I don't know where the threat came from. Besides, I can hold my own."

He smiled a rueful smile, which Robin mirrored with a smirk, "No doubt about that, but I still don't want to take that chance. As long as the 'Shadow Case' is open, I want you to keep a communicator with you at all times. And if you need to go out to the city… take one of us with you."

Danny scowled when he realized that this was an order. He crossed his arms defensively, "I'm not a child that needs to be looked after at all times, you know."

Robin wasn't deterred, "I know that, but we're dealing with spirits. You're only human, and we're not sure what they can do yet."

Danny closed his mouth, not willing to argue any further lest he get suspicious. Robin didn't know just how capable he really was and Danny really didn't want to give him any ideas.

"Fine." He allowed, if only to appease the leader. He could always sneak out whenever he wanted. Robin leaned in closer, giving Danny a stern look that somehow showed from behind his mask. Danny resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "I mean it, Danny."

"Look Robin. I appreciate the concern, but you don't have to worry about me. You hired me as a detective, and as a detective I'll be fine."

Danny winced internally, realizing that what he'd said probably came off as cold. He still wasn't comfortable with seeing the Titans as friends, and it showed.

Robin sighed, "It's more than that, Danny. As a leader and a Titan it's my job to protect, and that includes protecting you."

Robin took a moment to look at Danny and was able to see the hesitation in his eyes under his cold and indifferent attitude. He reached out a hand to his shoulder in an attempt to bring some form of comfort. He was glad when Danny allowed it.

"You can't protect everyone Robin." Danny told him, looking at him with skepticism. He knew Robin would do everything that he could to solve the case, however Danny knew better. The case would be difficult, and there was a high chance that they wouldn't even succeed in solving it.

"We'll get to the bottom of this." Robin promised, reaching out a hand to his shoulder in an attempt to bring some measure of comfort. Danny forced a smile, wishing that he could believe the Titan. Unfortunately, he knew it was a promise that Robin couldn't keep. It was never that easy.

* * *

Danny sat at his desk, scouring over files, photographs, and other evidence. It was dark besides the soft glow of the lamp beside him and the moonlight streaming in from the large window. He glanced at the clock on the wall before grimacing. It was 2 AM. How had it gotten so late? As if to wipe away the exhaustion that weighed them down, he rubbed at his eyes. He'd started working sometime this evening after dinner with the Titans. Time must have run away from him. The threat from earlier loomed over him. He didn't want to stop.

Robin had joined him before heading to bed. He vaguely remembered him telling him he should also get some sleep but Danny quickly waved him off with a promise to go to sleep soon. He turned his head when he heard the soft knock on his door. It was open of course, and more often than not Starfire and Beast Boy would take advantage of it, but Raven always respected his privacy. He made one last mark on the sheet of notes before him, setting it down and closing the folder. He shut his eyes for a moment before waving her in, allowing her in his room.

Raven treaded quietly. It was hard to to hear her footsteps and once or twice she had even surprised him with her presence. One would think she just floated everywhere she went, but that was not true. Danny had learned from her that she actually preferred to walk and floating required more energy than what was worth.

She approached and was silent for a moment as Danny leaned back in his chair.

"It's late." She said pointedly.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm about to go to bed." Danny grumbled, barely sparing her a sideways glance.

Raven pursed her lips slightly in disbelief. His eyebrows furrowed. Since when had she been able to read him so easily?

"You should sleep while you can. We are all leaving tomorrow morning on a mission, Robin wants you to come with us."

This got his attention. She watched him carefully as his mouth turned downwards in a scowl. He crossed his arms and rolled his chair to face her fully, "And when was he planning on telling me this?"

Raven smirked, "An hour before departure, so you couldn't come up with a viable excuse to back out. Now get some rest, Danny, you're going to need it. This mission isn't going to be easy."

"What do you mean?" He asked, his voice laced with wariness. It was already enough that Robin hadn't even told him about the mission and now Raven was admitting that it was going to be hard?

Raven shook her head and retracted her arm allowing her cape to close around her body,

"I'll let him explain. For now just get some sleep." She leveled him a stare and Danny resisted the urge to roll his eyes for the hundredth time that night alone. There was something about living with a bunch of heroes that was so frustrating, and a lot of times when Raven was involved she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Raven continued to watch as Danny begrudgingly got up from his chair, gave her a pointed glare, and then walked over to his drawer where he knew he could find a clean t-shirt. When he grabbed it and realized Raven still hadn't left, he turned to her in question, letting an easy grin on his lips, "Are you just gonna stand there and watch or take your own advice and get some sleep yourself?" He asked, tugging at the hem of his shirt to pull it off.

Only then did Raven finally turn away swiftly with a scowl and maybe even a faint blush. Danny grinned in satisfaction. "Goodnight, Fenton." She told him, her words short as she left, her cape fluttering behind her as she walked out with graceful steps. Only when he heard the door close shut did he allow his grin to fade. From the sound of it, this mission wasn't going to be any fun at all.

Danny sighed, slithered into bed, and slowly fell into a fitful sleep, thoughts of the case still swirling through his troubled mind.

* * *

"No way. I'm not going."

Robin sighed in frustration. This was the exact reason why he waited last minute to tell Danny where they were going.

"This is the best time to go while the crime rate is low. You know more information about Amity than any of us."

Danny scowled at his logic. Just because it made sense for him to go didn't mean he wanted to go back home.

"There's no way I'm going back there." Danny told him with a finality that made Robin pause from his preparations to look at him seriously,

"You know Amity better than anyone here, Danny. We need you with us."

Danny's scowl deepened, "I haven't been there in years. How do you know we'll find any useful information there anyway?" He tried his best to keep the creeping apprehension out of his voice, but he wasn't sure whether it worked.

"We won't know anything if we don't go. There are a few people I want you to help me interview while we're down there, and Amity is the best place in the country to find research on spirits."

Robin had clearly been prepared for Danny's lack of willingness to go, his arguments were too reasonable for him to argue with. Danny groaned as Starfire walked past with his suitcase along with Raven's in her hands to pack into the T-Plane.

"Robin you don't understand. I can't go back there." the desperation was obvious now, but it was his only option.

Robin looked back up when he heard the pleading in Danny's voice. His eyes were wide and they were filled with barely contained fear. Robin set down the clipboard in his hand and turned towards the detective, "Danny what's going on? What aren't you telling me?" he asked.

His brows furrowed at the expression in the teen's face. One of Danny's fists tightened slightly. His hands shook.

"I…" Danny trailed off and averted his eyes before they steeled and met Robin's masked face, "It's nothing." He monotoned, suddenly composed once more.

Robin looked at him for a moment before sighing, "It's our best option at this point." Robin told him. He wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but if Danny wasn't going to say anything then there was nothing he could do.

Danny sighed and looked down. From a detective's perspective, this was a good plan. But personally… Danny didn't want to go. Going meant facing the memories he tried so hard to ignore.

Amity was probably the only place he could think of that could help them with the case. And if they didn't solve the case soon more metas would be kidnapped. There was no telling what the shadows had planned, and it was even more dangerous now that someone involved knew so much about his personal life.

"Fine." Danny finally grumbled, pushing his way passed their leader. Robin regarded him silently, making a mental note to keep an eye on him before picking his clipboard back up.

"Alright, Titans, get ready to leave in ten minutes. The sooner we leave the sooner we can get back." before he could forget, he added, "And can someone wake up Beast Boy?" Already in action, his team all set their eyes on him.

Cyborg raised his hand, "On it." Robin nodded. Knowing Beast Boy, it would take a few tries to wake him up.

Danny ignored them all and got into the plane, closing his eyes as he sank into his chair, mentally prepare himself for the emotions he knew he'd feel when he got back home. Back where he used to have a wonderful life with family and friends. Back to where all of the fighting had been worth it if it meant seeing his loved ones when he got home. Back to where he used to have passions and big dreams. He wasn't sure if he was ready to go back and see the remnants of the place he used to call home.

But then again, would he ever be?

* * *

A/N: Again, full thanks to Astrovagant.

Let me know what you guys think!


	8. Chapter 8

Shattered Destiny Ch.8

A/N: Hey guys, so important news.

Lux is going to be my new co-author. Originally a beta, I felt that they deserved more credit. Lux has really transformed this fic, and I'm excited to write the rest of this fic in the future with them. Lux has their own author's note at the end of the chapter, so make sure to read!

With that being said, 'Shattered Destiny' will be under reconstruction with its earlier chapters. The plot won't likely be changed, but the chapters will be cleaned up and re-edited. Look for more notes in the future, we will keep you updated on that. Thanks guys and we hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

The trip to Amity was agonizing, and the fact that it took nearly half the day to get there was only part of the reason why. For Danny, the time spent in the jet did nothing but exacerbate his anxiety. He wasn't ready for this. To be honest, he wasn't sure if he would ever be ready.

The Titans weren't helping in the least. They understood the situation as a serious one and tip-toed around him cautiously. Apparently, Robin had let them all know they were traveling back to his hometown. Beside him, Beast Boy failed to ease the tension with jokes. Starfire and Cyborg were in an intense discussion— Cyborg was attempting to teach her the concept of a relationship on earth. At any other time, Danny may have been tempted to tease the cybernetic teen as he tried in vain to get through the conversation without a blush or stammer, but he couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension enough to hide it if he opened his mouth.

"We're almost there." Danny was startled to see Raven looking at him carefully through calm, violet eyes. Her lips were set in a thin line.

Danny gave her a sharp nod in understanding before unconsciously clenching his fist in an effort to calm himself. He shut his eyes and leaned his head back against the window. He could feel Raven's eyes still on him even as he watched the scenery pass by. He opened his fist and closed it again, biting his lip with enough force for him to taste blood. It was decided.

"Raven. When we get there, don't let me do anything stupid."

He forced him himself to let down the stone wall hiding his emotions, to drop the mask. He needed someone else to see what he was struggling with. It asking a lot from her, but Raven wasn't the kind of person to question feeling. He unclenched his hands, allowing them to tremble, and looked her in the eyes.

Raven didn't flinch. Face impassive, she nodded slowly. With this, Danny turned his attention back to the sight outside of his circular window, allowing himself to be swallowed by his thoughts once more. He could feel her aura receding somewhat as she walked away with silent steps, almost as though she were floating.

Some semblance of relief filled him briefly at her lack of digging. He'd known, deep down, that she would understand. He'd seen her anger firsthand, the way that it built up and destroyed everything in its path. His own anger was just as destructive. He needed someone who could stop him if he let the ghost in him take control, and she was the only member on the team powerful enough to do so. Even now, he could feel his emotions fighting him for control.

It scared him.

"Finally! Sweet, sweet land!" Beast Boy yelled, startling Danny out of his thoughts for the second time that day. Upon registering his words, Danny tensed, preparing himself for the landing. He breathed deeply, closing his eyes. With steely movements, he stood.

His heart beat rapidly in his chest, filling his eyes with the sound of his own blood. The hatch loomed before him. Robin was barking out orders and Cyborg moved to open the hatch. Time seemed to slow down as hatch opened, letting in too-bright sunlight that made the pain behind his eyes flare angrily. They were on the edge of Amity Park's public garden, near the forest. The familiar smell of rain greeted him, and he breathed it in, tasting it. The grass was damp, and the leaves of the trees nearby were slowly changing color, with only hints of green on some of them.

It was a beautiful mid-fall day in Amity Park. Normally, he would have reveled in it, but now greeted him with a strange sense of familiarity that left him feeling like he'd been punched in the stomach.

This was where he'd grown up, where he and his friends had practiced hand-to-hand combat and played childish games for the hell of it. The memories were so vivid that he could barely distinguish them from reality. He could see himself laughing as he tripped over a tree root while they were playing a game of chase gone south, landing on his face as Sam tackled him. Her weight on his chest had been welcome. Tucker stood a few feet away, bent over and holding his sides. Sam's mirthful eyes had his as she smiled gently before leaning in to kiss him. The swings nearby swung gently, and briefly he could see his sister pulling him as he begrudgingly joined her to swing. Across the park was where his mother had been a part of the community garden, where he'd helped dig out spaces to plant white roses on one of the days she wasn't distracted by her work. Gardening happened to be one of his mom's favorite hobbies when she wasn't in the lab. His dad had joined them after some prodding and pleading from his mom and with a promise to stop and buy more fudge on the way home.

He'd known it would be hard for him to return, but he hadn't realized how hard it was until now. It would never be the same.

Danny brushed off the memories with a scowl, trudging on through the park without a second glance. He didn't know exactly where Robin wanted them to go, but he had a pretty good idea judging from the complaints of his team. The only fast food joint in Amity Park was the Nasty Burger, and it would only take a few minutes to get there from here.

"Yo, Danny wait up! Where's the fire?" Cyborg called.

Danny turned to find the Team trying to catch up to him. He hadn't realized how fast he'd left in his effort to leave the memories of the park behind. Stopping to wait for them, he pasted a grin to his face, "Sorry, guys."

Amity Park was a small town. You could pretty much walk wherever you needed to go. All too often, Danny had run across the park to escape Dash and his gang. He could almost see his lanky 14-year-old body dashing across the park in his desperation to get away. He remembered having to always look at the ground in order to avoid stepping on his shoelaces, causing him to trip over his own feet. For some reason, they were never able to stay tied.

Danny cut across onto the concrete path once everyone had caught up to him. It would lead straight to the restaurant. It was sort of a backroad, and out of the way so the Titans wouldn't be noticed. He'd walked this route hundreds of times. It wasn't comforting that he still knew the way.

"Who is it again that you want to interview down here?" he asked, slowing down and falling into step with Robin. He figured that sooner they got what they needed, the sooner they could leave.

Robin was silent for a moment. His lips were pursed in concern, his eyes calculating. For a moment, Danny might have thought that he'd caught a glimpse of empathy on the boy's masked face before he opened his mouth to speak. "There's a few. Actually, one of the interviewees is supposed to meet us at the Nasty Burger."

"Dude!" Beast Boy yelled, stalling everyone's conversation.

Danny's eyes followed Beast Boy's arm to see that he was pointing his finger at the monument of none other than Danny Phantom. It was at least fifteen feet tall. The last time he'd seen it, Danny Phantom had stood proudly where he held the supposed earth with one strong arm. The other had been tightened into a fist, threatening anyone who would dare cross him. His face had been set in a smirk while his eyes held defiance, determined to beat the odds. Once upon a time, that was who Danny used to be. Proud and ready to protect, happy and naïve. Not yet jaded by life.

It mocked him.

The monument itself was now broken. It was chipped in a few places where people had thrown rocks. The earth sat next to it on the ground, shattered into hundreds of pieces. His name, which had been proudly displayed on the marble stone was now hastily covered in spray paint.

"Who is that?" Cyborg asked as the rest of the team drew closer to the statue. Danny followed behind, frowning.

"The only word I can make out is Phantom." Raven replied, squinting her eyes to try and make out the rest of the words. She soon gave up and walked around to observe it with the others.

"Please friends, why has it been destroyed?" Starfire asked in concern, hovering closer look at the face of the person depicted. Danny crossed his arms and remained silent, apprehension growing with every moment.

Robin was the one to answer, "I'm not sure, Star, but we'll find out."

"Why does it matter? He's not here anymore." His tone was harsh, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. This had gone on long enough. He turned his back on the defiled statue, trying his best to ignore the pairs of eyes boring into his back and sending his body on high-alert.

"Wait, you knew him?" Beast Boy's voice was incredulous, accusing. Danny turned back to the changeling with a nonchalant shrug, glancing at the statue wistfully.

"Who didn't?" he said, voice low, "He used to protect this town, but he's been gone a long time."

"Surely we can find this Phantom so that he may help us with our case, yes?" Starfire asked innocently. Danny felt his aura spark.

"No." he said, hoping that the shortness of his response would discourage the Titans from asking any more. He didn't have the energy for this. Not right now.

It must've worked, because after a few moments of quiet contemplation, the team continued their trek to the restaurant. Danny didn't let himself take anything in, instead letting himself focus on his own footsteps and keeping his body from betraying him. The prospect of running into anyone that he knew was both extremely likely and even more daunting. Amity was a small town, after all.

Danny could smell the Nasty Burger long before he saw it. That's how it always was. If he'd still been sixteen years old, he would've basked in the greasy scent of fast food. Now, it just made his stomach twist.

"Please tell me they have something other than meat." Beast Boy complained, dragging his feet dramatically across the grass. It was a welcome distraction.

Danny grinned despite himself,"Actually, they have an entire menu made specifically for vegetarians."

"Really? At a place called 'Nasty Burger'?" Robin asked, his voice filled with disbelief. Danny turned around to give the group that was following him a small, knowing smile.

"It's a long story."

Despite the Titan's shenanigans (Cyborg was complaining loudly about his grumbling stomach), Danny couldn't find it in himself to relax.

When the Nasty Burger finally came into view in all its glory, Danny froze in place. Suddenly, he was fourteen again. The memory of the blast flooded his mind, back to the day his future self plotted the death of his family, sealing his fate. He could see the tanks reaching their limit. His family and friends strapped down, looking at him through helpless eyes, his own hand reaching out in a feeble attempt to stop it from happening, even as he lay wounded in the middle of the street. The stench of smoke filled his nose as the tanks began to overheat. The sound of cackling laughter in the distance was maddening. His eyes locked on his mother's. He could hear himself shouting in desperation as he watched on in horror, unable to move, unable to breathe as the tanks blew up just before Clockwork stopped time.

"Are you alright?" the voice sounded as though it were coming from miles away. He clung onto it like a lifeline. He blinked, unclenching his stinging hands. They were shaking. Even from outside, the smell of grease was overwhelming. Quickly, he tamped down the urge to throw up. His skin felt clammy, and he knew he must've looked like a wreck. Robin had his hand on Danny's shoulder. He shrugged it off.

"I'm fine." he said, cursing his voice for shaking. In an effort to change the subject, he turned his attention back to the restaurant. The Nasty Burger was booming. Danny narrowed his eyes, "Looks like word got out that the Titans were coming to Amity Park."

The Titans followed Danny's gaze. The entire restaurant was buzzing with activity, and people had begun to point their fingers and shout in recognition from behind the glass. Raven sighed and pulled up her hood. Cameras were suddenly flashing and local reporters were running down to meet them. Danny turned to Robin with a raised brow. The boy wonder shrugged helplessly. Soon enough it was hard to even walk down the rest of the walkway. Every step there was a camera, or mic, or a face. Danny had to resist the urge more than once to throw a punch. Reporters had no sense of personal space whatsoever.

Then the questions began.

"Robin, is it true that you and your team are here on a mission?" One reporter asked before someone else shoved their own question at Robin, not allowing him time to answer.

"Is Amity Park in danger?" One asked and it was all they could do to shake their heads before another took its place,

"Detective Fenton, is it true that you are now an official member of the Teen Titans?"

Danny scowled before shoving the mic out of his face, ignoring the reporter.

"Does your visit have any connections with the recent raid over the remnants of FentonWorks?"

Danny stopped suddenly, floored. The reporter took advantage of his silence to push further,

"Detective Fenton, do you know who is responsible?"

"What is your relationship ties with the Titans?"

"Do you have anything to say about the Titan's involvement in Amity Park?"

So many questions were coming all at once but Danny didn't hear them. FentonWorks had nearly been destroyed, so who would raid it? And more importantly, why?

"Alright, alright people. Shoo. You'll all have plenty of time to ask questions at my press conference later this week."

Danny recognized the voice instantly, his eyes widening as he watched the figure on the hoverboard bark out orders overhead. The reporters began to grumble, but to Danny's surprise they listened, leaving reluctantly. The figure, who was clad in black and red, hovered over the ground before pressing a button on her wrist. The hoverboard retracted into her suit and her mask came off. Her expression was one of astonishment when she met his eyes.

"Danny."

It was almost a whisper, and he was glad for that. The truth was Danny hadn't told anyone when he'd left Amity. Of course she'd always been intelligent and eventually had found out where Danny was on her own, but his message had been crystal clear. He simply hadn't wanted to be found.

He looked back up at her with nostalgic eyes, giving her a small, sheepish smile. An emotion ran through him that he couldn't name. The past was something he hadn't wanted to face, and now he didn't have a choice.

"Hey, Valerie."

* * *

A/N: Hi, my name is Lux, also known as fanfiction user astrovagant. I'm the new co-author, but originally I was a beta! You can find me here on FFN, as well as on archiveofourown under the same username. I also have a DP tumblr spaectral!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry about the wait *cringes* There were many _necessary_ changes that needed to made to the chapter (that's my fault). Alas we finally deemed it ready to publish and I am beyond excited.

If you aren't aware, **Lux** , my partner in crime, truly transforms every piece. Gah their skills never ceases to astound me. So thank Lux! Read their note at the bottom, and enjoy the chapter! Oh and please, please, please review. You guys have no idea the influence you have on us as readers.

Chapter 9

Robin was concerned.

From the moment they'd stepped off the T-Ship, Danny seemed off. It was in the way his eyes clouded over, like he wasn't entirely sure what was real and what wasn't. He moved forward as though dreaming, taking in the sights and sounds distantly.

In the time spent throughout this case, Danny had always been anything but unfocused. In fact, his dedication seemed to match Robin's own. It was strange seeing his behavior mirrored in someone else. He could almost understand why the other Titans were so dead-set on making him leave the Tower every so often if that was how he acted.

Robin wasn't sure what had happened in Amity to cause Danny to leave, but it must've been something awful. Was coming here worth the pain?

The walk to the Nasty Burger was filled with an awkward silence. Despite his worry, Robin used the time to take in the sights. Amity Park was a small town. At first sight, it looked positively average.

If one looked closely, however…

Well, most towns didn't have ghost-hunting weapons on display in the windows of electronic stores.

"Dude!" Beast Boy yelled, pointing at a vandalized statue in the town square.

"Who is that?" asked Cyborg, frowning as he tried to get a closer look.

It had clearly meant to be celebratory. The figure depicted had a triumphant smile on his face and looked like it was supposed to be holding something - the earth, maybe? There was a broken sphere on the ground next to it. The hero's shirt bore a strange symbol. DP?

"The only word I can make out is Phantom." frowned Raven, looking closely at the scratched out plaque.

"Please, friends, why has it been destroyed?" Starfire questioned. She was near tears as she floated up to trace the statue's broken nose with her hand.

Robin frowned, "I'm not sure, Star, but we're going to find out." With this, he made to leave, sending the monument one last look before he moved away. There was something about its face that seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place his finger on why.

Nevermind. He had a person of interest to interview.

The so-called "Nasty Burger" was very close to the town center. A large restaurant with a Drive-Through window, it was bustling with activity. The line nearly went out the door. Underneath the typical smell of grease was a strong, spicy scent.

Robin's stomach grumbled.

Before he could get any closer, though, Danny stiffened. The air around him seemed strange, electric. The hair on the back of Robin's neck stood on end. Something was very, very wrong.

Danny looked afraid and far away. Unsure of what to do, Robin relied on impulse.

Reaching his hand out, Robin was met with the smell of smoke, the taste of ash, and a feeling of raw, desperate terror. He couldn't breathe. It was hot, too hot, his body stung. Pain in his leg, blood trickling down his ears, time stopping.

He had to get to them, had to find them, had to save them…

Danny tore his shoulder away.

Robin felt cold. The skin underneath his glove tingled.

That wasn't normal.

What was going on?

...

Valerie Gray stared at him in awe.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered, voice uncharacteristically gentle. It was strange to see her look so delicate in costume, so raw. When she was the Red Huntress, she roared like a fire. Now, she was all soft curves and sunkissed skin.

This was exactly what Danny had been avoiding.

She'd changed since high school. She was a little taller, a little more sure of herself. Her hair, which had previously gone down to her waist in tight brown ringlets, was now cropped short. There was a sort of melancholy that Danny felt when he thought about Valerie Gray. She'd been so many things - his enemy, his friend, his first glimpse of puppy love…

He barked out a short laugh and shoved his hands into his jean pockets, "We're investigating a case back in Jump. Trust me, we wouldn't be here at all if it were up to me."

Valerie's eyes flashed with hurt, but Danny couldn't bring himself to care. The scar from where she'd shot at him from behind as he made his way home after a particularly nasty round with Skulker in the eleventh grade still tingled when things touched it, turning the surrounding area on his side numb. He had missed three days of school because of how deep the injury had been, and even after it healed, it had taken him the better part of the year to feel comfortable with his back to anyone.

"We?" She questioned, glancing at the Titans. Her hand fidgeted at her side, clenching and unclenching near where her ecto-gun sat.

Robin stepped forward, "Ms. Gray, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Robin. This is my team. We're the Teen Titans. Detective Fenton is partnering with us to work on a very special case. We're hoping that you can provide us with some information." Upon hearing the title of "detective" attached to Danny's name, she raised her eyebrows. Then, she returned the handshake.

"Red Huntress at your service. I can tell you everything you need to know about ghosts, spirits, and anything related to 'em." she smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes before continuing, "I'm guessing that y'all aren't at the Nasty Burger for the scenery. It's a long trip from here to Jump. Come on, we can talk more inside."

While the citizens of Amity Park were accustomed to ghosts and their hunters, the same could not be said for world-famous superheroes. An unnatural hush fell in the typically noisy place as everyone looked up from their meals and stared upon their entrance. Danny felt his stomach twist into knots.

Then the whispers began.

"Is that the Fenton boy?"

"It is!"

"Why, I thought he was long gone. Y'know, after…"

Keeping his eyes forward, he stepped purposefully, immediately positioning himself in his old booth - apparently the place hadn't completely been destroyed yet. The worn red faux leather still bore the scorch marks from when he hadn't quite had control over his ecto-energy and had gotten heated over a homework assignment that he was sure had been added to the syllabus specifically to spite him.

Maybe, if the circumstances had been different, he would've felt nostalgic. As it was, he just felt sick.

Once everyone was settled into the booth at the corner of the busy restaurant and conversation had resumed semi-normally aside from some uncomfortable glances now and then, the group quickly began to bond, starting with introductions. Slowly, Valerie began to relax around the group, laughing at their various stories and telling ones of her own.

Danny couldn't help but notice that the happiness plastered to her face never quite stuck.

Valerie Gray had never been a particularly cheerful person. Even among the A-listers, her smiles had been more contrived than not. When her mother died while they were in middle school after a long battle with cancer, she'd thrown herself into everything she did with fervor. She'd constantly been in and out of school for martial arts tournaments, and when she'd quit martial arts and turned to ghost-fighting, she'd only become more serious.

He hadn't been the only one affected by his family's death. The town had somehow seemed less alive without their bright jumpsuits and the alarming sound of their RV roaming the streets during patrols. And, because they'd been the only ghost-hunters aside from Valerie herself and Danny Phantom, her burden only increased when they'd died and he'd disappeared.

Every so often, her eyes would catch his and she'd look at him as though he'd disappear if she ignored him for too long. When she'd taken her helmet off, so many different expressions had crossed her face: shock, sadness, a glimpse of elation, and a spark of guilt. Did she have something to hide?

Danny let his thoughts wander awhile as he mulled over the idea. Their history was… incredibly complex. Between past romance and her own personal vendetta against his ghost half, it was hard to for him to reconcile the two sides of her as the same person. In high school, he had to separate them the same way that he had to separate his parents from their identities as ghost hunters from their identities as parents.

He wouldn't have been able to trust them otherwise.

"We need information on ghosts, specifically dark spirits." Robin stated. At this, Danny blinked, tuning back into the conversation. Had he missed anything important?

Valerie sobered, furrowing her brows and leaning closer as she braced her arm against the table's cheap linoleum surface, "What do you need to know?"

Danny couldn't resist, "These spirits are being controlled by something or someone. They're being used to kidnap very powerful and knowledgeable metas." He winced internally when she looked at him appraisingly.

"The only person I can think of who was able to control ghosts was Freakshow, and he had that crystal ball staff." Valerie replied, eyes narrowed.

Danny barely suppressed a shiver, fingers twitching slightly from underneath the countertop. He could still remember that desperate feeling as he clawed himself out from under the man's control, holding onto Sam's voice like a lifeline.

Years later, the sound of clicking tongues still made him tense.

"So someone got their hands on a very powerful artifact." Cyborg chewed on his burger thoughtfully.

"It's a possibility. Dark spirits usually don't follow orders unless forced to." Raven added, voice low. Everyone stared at her in surprise; it wasn't often that she spoke to people she didn't know.

"But how did Freakshow use his staff to control the ghosts?" Robin was in leader mode; his own food lay abandoned atop its wrapper.

"Hypnosis." Valerie replied.

"Is there any way that we can get more information about ghosts in general?"

"There's a lot of scientific research back at Fenton Works. We can go there as soon as we're all done here if you want."

Danny stiffened, "Fenton Works was destroyed." The temperature dropped a few degrees.

Valerie shook her head tentatively, looking almost apologetic, "Vlad had it rebuilt, and then gave the rights to the building over to my dad. We continue research there. I thought Vlad told you."

Danny's brow furrowed. No, Vlad hadn't. But that wasn't the problem. The fact that Vlad felt that he had the right to make the decision to rebuild the building in the first place without even informing him was the issue here.

If anyone had asked him, he would've told them to leave it be. It wasn't worth anything, not anymore.

He forced himself to take a deep, calming breath, unclenching his fingers. The room was warmer now, and the entire group seemed to have relaxed somewhat. Much better.

The conversation was directed elsewhere. Danny tuned it out.

A few minutes later, something caught his eye— a flash of silver and green. Standing on the sidewalk was a child. He was around the age of four, walking next to his mother with his hand in hers. He held a small plush tightly in his other hand. Danny blinked when he recognized what it was.

Valerie had apparently been watching him, following his gaze to the plush in the child's hand. He was now hugging it closer to his chest. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, "I can't believe kids still look up to him."

Danny ignored her. A strange, foreign feeling had begun to spread throughout his body. Was it nostalgia? Rage? Or something else entirely?

"Who?" Robin asked cautiously.

"Phantom." She practically spat, as if even saying the name put an awful, bitter taste in her mouth.

That was enough. "You only hate him because you're still holding a grudge over something that was out of his control."

Valerie turned to him with fire in her eyes, "Are you seriously going to defend him?" He met her gaze steadily, swallowing the regret he felt for bringing it up to begin with.

"Why not? He didn't do anything wrong." He couldn't stop the bitterness in his tone, like poison on his tongue.

Valerie's expression turned into one of disgust.

"He killed your family, Danny! Or did you forget that like you forgot everything else?!"

Valerie shut her mouth quickly as she realized her mistake. The Titans may have suspected what happened to his family, but now they knew. Starfire gasped. Cyborg dropped his burger, and Beast Boy's eyes opened in shock. Robin frowned, turning to Danny.

It was though he'd had a bucket of ice dumped on him - his limbs were numb and heavy, and time seemed to stop. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Is that why his statue was vandalized?" he asked, voice deceptively calm as he shot up from his seat. He now towered over her by a good eight inches, but she didn't flinch. In his peripheral vision, the Titans looked at each other in alarm.

"He was spotted not far from the scene when the bomb went off. That can't be a coincidence."

"You don't know anything about what happened, Valerie. You weren't there. You don't get to just assume that he was a murderer!" He practically shouted. Silence fell in the restaurant.

"I don't understand why you're arguing with me over this." Valerie told him softly, her eyes pitying. The sincerity in her voice didn't deter his growing frustration.

"He didn't kill them."

"Tell me anyone else that would have."

It'd been a long time since he'd felt the urge to turn invisible.

Danny clenched his jaw. He could name any number of ghosts that would have fought over that opportunity, but he couldn't tell her that. As far as she knew, he'd never hunted a ghost in his life.

"I know he didn't." he choked out, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Phantom is a malevolent ghost, and your parents were ghost hunters. It makes sense." Danny's anger flared at the matter-of-fact way that she said it. As though she had authority over him. As though she'd done anything but be a thorn in his— _Phantom's_ _—_ side for years. As though there weren't still scars on his body caused by her quest for revenge.

"Malevolent? He saved the world!" The icy feeling was growing. He could taste the emotions in the air, could sense everyone's auras interacting and intermingling. They only made his stronger.

"That doesn't excuse murder."

He couldn't do this. He grabbed his wallet from off of the table. She was in front of him faster than he could process. The hand on his shoulder burned.

"It's okay to be upset, Danny. You have the right to, they were your family."

She'd never understand. She'd always have this bias, this hatred. It'd never end.

He tore his shoulder away, careful to not cause her injury with his enhanced strength, and made a beeline for the door, ignoring the shouts of dismay behind him.

A/N: Hi y'all! It's your co-author Lux. I just wanted to apologize for how late this update is coming. I've been really busy and stressed out the last few weeks. Sephora7 had this chapter ready weeks ago, but I've been pretty unavailable! Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this. Please tell us your thoughts!


	10. Chapter 10

SD Chapter 10

A/N: Hey guys! So excited for this update. Few things I'd like to point out…

*There is cursing* (I blame us both)

The point of views change. They begin with Robin, then switch to Danny, back to Robin, and then it ends with Danny again.

Time-wise...I apologize it's been late. A month and a half I know...bear with us, we're trying. I haven't had much time to edit because I've gotten recurring strep throat twice in the past month. So just know that the story is NOT on hiatus and we intend to keep writing.

Also, make sure to read Lux's a/n at the end of the chapter. There are some pretty important things addressed there, and they will help to make sense of what's going on in the chapter.

P.S. Please Review! Much love to all our dedicated readers.

Enjoy!

-Sephora

* * *

As a detective, Robin was trained to notice all things peculiar.

Danny was anything but normal.

It was in the way he moved his hands, poised to strike at any moment. The way his anger presented itself, turning him from prey to predator in an instant. Robin could see his own actions mirrored through the detective — the characteristics of a hero.

But it wasn't confidence, not really. Not like Robin's own. Rather, it was skill.

As the Red Huntress came to meet them, Robin took note of the sad recognition in her wide eyes when they landed Danny. Unaware that anyone was looking at him, he consciously forced himself to unclench his hands. Robin watched as he then let himself fall to the back of the group as Valerie led them up to the restaurant, hesitating at the entrance.

All eyes were on them as they stepped in, doorbell jingling at the open door. There was a pregnant pause, full of awe, before it was broken by the eruption of too-loud whispers. Used to the attention, the rest of the Titans ignored the stares in favor of the menu near the checkout. Danny stiffened momentarily. Then, in a fluid motion, he made his way towards an empty booth in the corner of the restaurant that faced all the doors and windows. His steps were rigid, deliberate. He didn't turn back to see if they would follow.

Danny was distant during the conversation, too. He barely touched his food despite the fact that none of them had eaten anything on the trip there. His eyes far away, and avoided eye contact in favor of staring at the tabletop. Once they began to talk about the case, though, his focus became razor sharp, but the moment the conversation changed topics, he retreated.

Robin wasn't about to push him to interact. It was clear that he was struggling just to be here. It seemed safer at this point, to let him stew.

And then Valerie made a flippant comment regarding the toy in a child's hand.

Danny's entire manner changed. The tension was suddenly thick enough to cut through the air with a birdarang. His rage was quiet, but it was quickly rising.

"You only hate him because you're still holding a grudge over something that was out of his control." he snapped, voice dangerously calm.

The situation only escalated from there. The hairs on the back of Robin's neck stood on end. The temperature had dropped noticeably throughout the exchange—frost grew on the windows seemingly of its own accord, and Beast Boy shivered. Shooting a cursory glance throughout the restaurant, he knew that he wasn't the only one who felt it. Everyone looked unsettled and vaguely afraid. Robin was surprised to find that, despite the clearly dangerous aura coming off Danny in waves that had Raven look like she was about to pass out, Valerie didn't back down. Could she not sense it?

And then it was over.

Robin said nothing, even as Danny shoved passed him violently out of the booth. Valerie quickly moved to follow him, but Robin was faster than she was. He put a placating hand on her shoulder.

"The last thing you need to do right now is to run after him." He told her, watching the detective storm across the street haphazardly, not even looking to see if there was any incoming traffic. That strange, cold aura followed him like a shadow, compelling everyone to give him a wide berth.

Robin didn't need to mention that she was ultimately the reason he had become unbearably angry. It was obvious, and the last thing Danny needed was an angry reminder of his past — that was something Robin could understand.

She ripped her arm away from him viciously, still angry herself and unused to obeying orders. He took no offense, only gesturing back to the booth where the others still sat. She practically threw herself at the chair, the clink of her armor loud compared through the unusually quiet restaurant. Starfire flinched at the sound, looking distinctly unnerved — she'd never been one for conflict.

Eventually the Red Huntress began to relax, softening her features as she turned back towards them all. Robin raised a brow when she gave a sheepish grin.

"I suppose we'll have to wait another time when Danny's here, to continue the interview." She told them, and Robin had a suspicion she was goading him to allow her to leave. He wouldn't take the bait.

"Danny will be fine, I can fill him in later. For now, why don't you tell us more about Phantom?"

She tensed, frowning. Her eyes flickered from them to the door and back again. Then, as though making a decision, she set her eyes on him firmly, moistening her lips before pressing them together.

"I fail to see how this is relevant to the case."

Robin wasn't moved. He could be stubborn, too, after all.

"Phantom obviously has quite an influence on the people of this town."

Valerie scoffed, crossing her arms. She stared at the boy with the plush who was now eating with his mom. One seat had been set aside just for the toy.

"He was a ghost obsessed with fighting. Some people saw him as a hero, others thought he was just a nuisance—an instigator that couldn't help but start battles. It's been theorized that Amity is tied to his obsession. He's the reason we have so many ghosts."

Robin pursed his lips, "Danny mentioned that he saved the world?"

"Apparently." Valerie rolled her eyes.

"What was his relationship with the Fenton's?"

"The Fenton's hated him. They spent a lot of their time trying to hunt him down for a while but Phantom didn't stop fighting. When Fenton Works blew up he was spotted from multiple citizens fleeing the scene. He hasn't been back since then. He murdered them." She ended her tirade with a growl, slamming her fist on the table. Starfire flinched again, leaving imprints on the table where she held it for comfort.

"Was there any actual evidence that Phantom was the cause of the explosion?"

Valerie looked at him accusingly, "What other evidence do you need? No one else in the town would hurt the Fenton's. They kept the city stocked with defensive measures. They were devoted to the citizens and protected them. Phantom was only here to fight and cause more trouble."

Beast Boy's eyebrows furrowed and the others glanced around. Robin raised a brow in surprise, "You never opened up an official investigation?"

It was Valerie's turn to furrow her brows in disapproval. She shook her head with a frown,

"No."

"So how do you know for sure that Phantom was responsible for the deaths of the Fenton's?" he asked calmly.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, "Are you accusing me of lying?"

The fire in her eyes revealed her growing anger, and Robin was already shaking his head to appease her. A frown tugged at his lips, "No, of course not Ms. Gray. I'm only interested in evidence. I believe that it would be in our best interest to begin our investigation at Fenton Works."

Valerie nodded rigidly, mouth set in a thin line, "I'll be available in the next few days. You can come whenever you need to."

Robin smiled politely, holding out his hand to shake hers. The others recognized it was time to leave and they stood eagerly, shuffling out of the booth. Starfire was trembling slightly, and Beast Boy looked like a cornered animal. Cyborg was munching on Danny's abandoned fries, eyebrows furrowed, and Raven had her hood up. The clear tension in her shoulders showed her discomfort.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Gray. My team and I look forward to speaking with you in the future." It was something of a lie, considering how the entire situation played out, but the woman flashed him a grin.

"Call me Valerie, or Red. The pleasure's all mine. I hope you find your stay here in Amity helpful."

Robin nodded despite the growing feeling of apprehension in his gut. Unfortunately, he wasn't so sure their stay would be helpful at all. He had a sinking feeling that, after today, the investigation would become even more complicated, and they would leave with only more questions.

But worrying wouldn't get them anywhere — they had a Detective to find.

...

He walked the streets of Amity in a haze. The sun had long since set, and the streets were nearly empty. The only proof that anyone lived in the town was the flickers of blue light coming off of windows and the sound of laughter from inside cookie-cutter suburban houses.

There was something special about being invisible. It was one of the many things that he liked about Jump — it was so full of people going places that he'd just seemed to blend in. Even as a child, he'd had a reputation in Amity. He was the ghost hunter's son. The pariah of the town with his thin frame and his bossy smart-aleck big sister, and his clothes a few sizes too large. He'd always wished to fade into the background, to become a part of the crowd like everyone else seemed to do so easily.

He'd never been invisible here, but now he may as well be.

It still didn't feel real.

The cemetery was closed for the night, like everything else was, but the fence wasn't very high. Not to someone like him. Steadying himself with a deep breath, his quickly leapt over it before making his way to a very familiar burial site.

One look at the names and ages were all it took. The feeling hit him like an oncoming train — quick, agonizing.

His breath hitched.

Danny had never been a fan of fire. It was intense, inescapable. At least ice was something that you could battle by bundling up. Fire was raging, hot, and angry — even water couldn't tame it sometimes. Being here — it felt like he was being burned alive.

Even his cryokinesis couldn't save him now.

For the first time in three years, he began to cry.

...

The town was strangely quiet.

The hype from their impromptu visit had mostly settled down, surprisingly, and the town was nearly empty. The stores on either side of the street were already closed, even though it was barely eight in the evening. Most of their windows had been carefully boarded up, and there was no sign of life save the few remaining stragglers that walked quickly, periodically checking over their shoulders. What were they looking out for?

"This place gives me the creeps." Beast Boy's voice cut through the air as they all walked the pathway through the city. He seemed to draw into himself, with crossed arms and hunched shoulders. Robin spared him a glance, "The sooner we find Danny, the sooner we can find what we need and go back home."

"Dude, I'm serious. It smells weird, and something doesn't feel right," he said shakily. Robin looked at him. His features screamed tension, and his hands were trembling. Robin frowned. He often forgot that Beast Boy had a high sensitivity to smell and could detect even the most minute hormones of the body. If Beast Boy thought that something was wrong, then chances were that there was.

The wind picked up slightly, fluttering both Robins and Raven's capes. Raven's look of discontent shown with the slight downward twitch of her lips, and she drew her hands to put her hood up back. Beast Boy shivered again, though from the cold or from fear Robin wasn't quite sure. The few people around them walked with quicker steps. The sun had set a few hours before, and the abnormally fast drop in the temperature was becoming more and more noticeable. It was a good thing Robin had thought to bring his hoodie.

"Will Friend-Danny be okay?" Starfire asked as she floated forward, not bothered by the chill. Instead she flew to take the lead, taking one hand to rest at her forehead in an attempt to look out further. Her green eyes shone with worry—they'd already been searching for about an hour.

"He'll be alright, Star. He can handle himself." Cyborg answered the Tamaranean from the back of the group. He looked forward with a pensive stare, eyebrows still furrowed and muscles tense, unwilling to speak any further.

"Let's just go back to the T-Ship. It's obvious he doesn't want to be found." Beast Boy reasoned, a pleading note in his voice.

"He should not be alone after observing how his former home town has affected him." Starfire turned back to the young changeling with a disapproving stare. Neon green eyes glowed warningly. No one wanted to get on her bad side.

"Exactly! I wouldn't want to be around anyone if I were him." Beast Boy told her. Any reply Starfire was sure to give him was cut off as someone who was clearly in a hurry bumped right into Robin, nearly sending him to the ground. Quick reflexes alone allowed him to steady both himself and the guy who had run into him.

"Woah, you okay?" He asked, grabbing the guy's elbow to prevent him from falling. The man who apparently had his head down looked back up quickly with wide, scared eyes,

"It's almost dark, you shouldn't be out."

The statement caught Robin off-guard. His brows furrowed as he took his hand backed away, deeming the man capable of standing on his own.

"What do you mean?" He asked. The man looked at him as though he had two heads.

"You must not be around here" he said, taking a step back from the Titans, clearly in a rush to leave, "The ghosts like to have fun after dark!"

The group stared at his back as he retreated, before looking at each other.

The chill in the air took on an eerie, quality, and someone screamed in the distance.

Something was coming.

"Titans, go!"

...

Danny jumped as the sound of the ring blasted through the silence. Fingers numb with cold, he fumbled with his hands in an attempt to release his cell-phone from the confines of his pant's pocket. When he pulled it out he swiped to answer quickly, not bothering to look who called him.

"Detective Fenton," he answered mechanically, waiting to see what was so important for someone to call him so late.

"Oh, Danny."

Danny unconsciously clenched the phone a little tighter.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, body tensing. Had she been injured? Had someone else? Sam wasn't the type to call for chit-chat.

"I read the reports, and saw on the news that the Titans were in Amity. I wanted to make sure that you were okay." His stomach dropped.

"I'm fine." he responded, voice measured and blank. Briefly, he cursed the moments of hesitation before his response.

She sighed,"You've always been a horrible liar, Danny."

He let out a choked laugh.

Danny had always hated that about her, hated how she read him like an open book. He'd hated it, but maybe, just maybe, he needed someone who could see him.

"I never wanted to come back here, Sam." his voice cracked at the last word. He took a deep, shuddering breath. There was a hollow feeling in his chest, like his heart had been scooped right out of him.

"You can't run away forever."

He bristled — the words may've been straightforward and maybe even true, but they made him feel like a coward. He wasn't weak, he wasn't a victim, never had been. He'd been a fucking hero, he'd saved the world, he'd-

The anger was fleeting. It slipped through his fingers like beach sand, leaving an empty shell in its wake.

"I-"

Maybe he was a coward, after all.

She sighed from the other end of the line. He could almost see her with her hair up, violet eyes tired behind dark makeup. She'd probably just gotten off work before calling, "I'm sorry. That was… unnecessary. You had every reason to leave Amity to begin with. If I… if it'd happened to me, I don't think I would've been able to stay either. I mean, my parents are a bunch of assholes, but-"

"You're right." he interrupted, if only to get her to stop talking. The pity in her voice hurt too much, made his eyes sting. He couldn't…

"You're right. I shouldn't… I shouldn't run away from my problems," he swallowed hard against the lump in his throat, "It's just, I don't-"

He'd never been a crybaby. Jack Fenton had made sure of that. Injuries that weren't life threatening had been brushed off. He'd learned where the family kept the bandaids and antiseptic at the tender age of four. He knew how to handle himself.

So why did it feel like he was falling apart?

He forced himself to breathe. His chest was tight, and it made no sense whatsoever because there was nothing left in there, really, just an empty space.

"It's _hard_."

"I know." Her voice was soft like velvet, like the nights when he'd stumbled in through her window a bloody, broken mess and she'd be waiting with a first aid kit in tow, all gentle hands and soothing whispers.

He'd never been a crybaby, but the tears were unstoppable and he was surprised that there was anything left in him at all, what with the waterworks he was letting out tonight.

She had the decency to not say anything about the muffled hiccups he knew were obvious from the other end of the line, thank whatever god was out there watching. Her breaths were steady and reliable, calming. As he wiped away the tears that were slowing down, he tried to match them.

Finally, he cleared his throat, "Jazz would be having a field day right now, wouldn't she?" He tried to keep his voice light, nostalgic, but he couldn't quite tell if it was working.

"Definitely." she answered immediately, a fond amusement in her voice.

"I wonder what she'd think of me now."

He hadn't changed much, really. He was the same, except a little taller, a little angrier. He was still the little boy who ran away from bullies, in the end. Even if he'd wanted to deny it all these years.

Sam must've sensed where his thoughts were going, because after a moment of silence she said, "She'd say you're a hero, but that you're also human, and that you're still growing."

"I'd hope so. Have you seen Jack Fenton?"

Sam laughed.

The conversation was full of small-talk after that, mostly tidbits about what he'd missed at the station while working with the Titans. Eventually, he'd left the graves, making his way towards the T—ship for the night. Apparently, the thing had pull-out beds, and no one wanted to check into a hotel in Amity after dark.

And then he froze in his tracks. The undeniable sensation of ice cold air seeping from his lungs encompassed him, clawing through his throat to form a visible blue mist in the atmosphere around him. He shuddered, the achingly familiar feeling of his ghost form prodding him to change, to react, to _fight._

"Danny?" the voice at the other end was concerned. He blinked out of his trance.

"Sam, something came up. I gotta go."

"Danny, w-" he hung up before she continued, wincing to himself. He was gonna regret that later.

But for now, he had bigger things to worry about.

Danny Phantom wanted out, and he wanted justice.

* * *

A/N:

Hello everyone! It's FFN user astrovagant! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I know it took a long time, but both me and Sephora are very busy college students with jobs, and while I'm taking the semester off, I'm pretty much constantly out of energy and inspiration. We had a good amount of this chapter done a month ago, but it took a lot of time to bridge everything together and we ended up cutting out bits for later use. We ended up cutting out a good four pages and replacing it with other content, so that took some time.

But I'm not here to ramble about why our update took over a month, I actually wanted to mention something else. Firstly, I wanna thank you guys for the reviews. Sephora forwards them to me when she gets them, and they really increase our morale. It's a lot easier to write when you know that people actually like what you're working on, honestly!

But while I do wanna thank y'all for all the great reviews, there's something I wanted to address. There's been a lot of Valerie bashing in the reviews lately, and it's bothering me a lot. Valerie is one of my favorite characters in the series, if not my favorite next to Danny. There are a lot of loveable characters, of course, but as a black person myself, I really love her specifically. As a kid, it was great to see a black girl taking on a big role in a children's show. It wasn't super common back then, y'know! Media still struggles with representation and stereotypes.

But despite the representation in DP, it isn't infallible. Valerie is written as very stereotypical and portrayed as an angry, ignorant black woman. It's a very common portrayal in media, and it's not surprising considering that DP was put out around ten years ago.

That being said, the amount of Valerie bashing in the reviews is really, really upsetting for me. While Danny and Valerie don't get along here, it isn't entirely her fault. What happened to her and her father was awful, and she was fourteen. Kids aren't known to be the most objective people. Hell, even I'm not objective and I just turned twenty. While she was very quick to blame Phantom for her suffering, it makes a lot of sense given the situation. And it doesn't help that Vlad stoked it by convincing her to start hunting ghosts in his own quest to make Danny's life hell.

Given Valerie's established prejudice against ghosts, her blaming Phantom for what happened makes sense here. I'm not saying it's okay, and I don't like it at all because prejudice is prejudice, but media is horrible at writing oppression allegories. In DP, ghosts are institutionally oppressed. However, people of color are also oppressed! We were oppressed in 2005 and we're still oppressed now, in 2016,

I've been really careful to not write Valerie as an angry black woman stereotype here. Yes she is angry, and yes she is black, but her feelings are very, very valid. She isn't a cinnamon roll, and she's misguided, but we've done a lot of set-up for her redemption, and I hate to see the readers completely ignore the nuance of this situation. So please, please, think before you bash her character.

I'm a little upset, so I'm not very coherent, but hopefully I made enough sense for y'all to understand my viewpoint here and have some more sympathy for her here. Danny's extremely upset, and very illogical, and because these scenes are written primarily from his viewpoint it's important to remember that his narration is entirely unreliable, especially given his emotional state.

Anyway, that's enough from me! I didn't mean to get super political here, but I tend to be kind of fiery about this kind of stuff, haha. I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter, and please review if you're able! We really, really love feedback!

Until next time,

astrovagant


	11. Chapter 11

SD Chapter 11

A/N: Hey guys! So excited for this chapter, shoutout to Lux for making our ghost scary as hell. They always do an amazing job, transforming the chapter. So we've come to a plan to try and update every month! So you can look for the next chapter to be done around this time in January!

Hope you all enjoy, make sure to read Lux's A/N at the bottom, and review, review, review!

As always, much love for our dedicated readers.

-Sephora

* * *

As he ran towards the sounds of distant chaos, panic bubbled up in his chest, making his breath come out in short, misty pants. Another scream made him run faster. _Just fly._ He shook his head, focusing on the rhythm of his feet as they crossed the bridge over the pond in the park. It'd been years since he flew, he wasn't sure if he knew how anymore. For the first time in three years, he felt truly helpless - he couldn't do anything against ghosts as a human.

The streets were abandoned when he reached them. The air surrounding him held a ghostly tint, nearly translucent. Any human wouldn't stop to give it a second glance. If you looked closely though, you could see that it looked green. Like algae-infested lake water.

He had to be close now.

Danny slowed to a stop, chest heaving, unable to get air. He needed to change. The cool, electric buzz of his core radiated through his limbs hungrily. He turned a corner of the street and walked into the alleyway, the back of his jacket stuck against the grit of the wall when he leaned against it.

"Phantom! I challenge you to your haunt, reveal yourself and battle lest you be named a coward!"

Phantom would recognize that voice anywhere, chilling and low. A shiver ran up his spine. The Fright Knight had returned, and no one but Phantom would be able to stop him.

He couldn't justify sitting this one out.

Danny took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused on the pull of his core. Tensing, he forced down the urge to resist as the electric hum of kinetic energy traveled throughout his body. Two familiar rings appeared at his waist, a blinding, brilliant white. His breath hitched as the energy ignited his core like a match to paper. The feeling was strong, overwhelming, and unbearably familiar. Gone was the scrape of his blue jeans, replaced with smooth, sticky spandex. It was done. Opening his eyes, he looked down at his trembling, gloved hands, marveling at the sparks flying off his fingertips.

He hadn't felt this energized in years.

It took him a moment to adapt to his ghost half, and he had to prop a hand up on the wall to fight the sudden urge to vomit - the world was spinning. His vision swam as his eyes adjusted to the rapid change of his senses. Everything was sharper, more attuned and bright, and the sudden inversion of colors made his head pound. His suddenly hypersensitive hearing picked up on anything and everything, but the nearby spirits were what caught his attention. Naked to the human eye, shades milled about, whispering in fear.

"He's here," they murmured, "The Fright Knight is here. He wants Phantom."

They moved away from the direction that his Sense was pulling him towards, trying to escape the blast zone. Danny turned his eyes away from them, reveling in the cold of his core and the comfort it brought.

He nearly laughed aloud as he took to the sky, letting himself get used to the feeling of weightlessness on his shoulders. Then, another scream pierced the night, and he sobered. This wasn't the time for nostalgia or fun. He was needed.

He took a deep, unneeded breath, and made his way into battle.

...

During his career as a vigilante, Robin had seen some very strange things. Meta-humans of many shapes and forms, he'd fought a variety of villains with special abilities alongside Bruce and his own team. He'd been thrown into warped realities created by enemies that were nearly incomprehensible. He'd even been to hell and back - literally - fighting Trigon himself.

But this guy, no, this _thing_ wasn't like anything he had ever faced before.

It was human-like, huge, and radiated a dangerous aura. The air around it smelled like death and decay and fear. Its gray and black armor, marred by discolored blood stains, greatly contrasted the purple flames bellowing around its spiked helmet. A tattered cape, also made of flame, adorned the creature's shoulders. The steed that the being sat on had wings, was pure black and on fire, gnashing teeth bared menacingly.

The ghost pulled the reigns on the horse turning to pierce its - his?- gaze on them all with glowing green eye sockets. Beast Boy immediately cowered and stumbled backwards, holding back a whimper, hackles practically raised. Robin himself stared, wide eyed, unable to suppress the shiver running down his back.

If this was what ghosts were, then everyone had everything to fear.

"Mortals, I search for Phantom, keeper of Amity Park. Provide his location!" The ghost roared, thrusting his sword into the air for emphasis. It's sharp edges were complimented with a glowing neon green aura.

"Phantom hasn't been seen in Amity Park for years!" Robin shouted back, cursing the slight tremble in his voice and settling into an offensive stance. His shaking hand reached for his bo-staff as he dutifully ignored the sinking feeling that none of his gadgets would work against this ghost. Briefly, he also cursed his lack of foresight springing the trip on their resident ghost-hunter. If he'd known about coming to Amity, he may've been able equip the Titans with weapons.

The horse snorted and flicked its tail, snapping its teeth at the team as if they were to blame for Phantom's absence. The ghost pulled back authoritatively on the reigns before fixing his gaze back down at them. The sword suddenly seemed a lot more dangerous in his hand.

"He is here! I can sense it! If you do not possess the knowledge of his location, then you are all useless to me."

The ghost went to turn around, intent on searching elsewhere. Robin's eyes narrowed as his protective instinct kicked in.

"We'll show you just how useless we are. Titans Go!"

In an instant the team was in motion, moving together in formation. Robin took off in a run on the street, Cyborg racing beside him with his Sonic Cannon pointed at the center of the ghost's chest. Robin pulled out his bo-staff extending it fully, then slowed when Cyborg fired. The ghost didn't even seemed concerned about the attack at all and turned translucent right as the blast approached, passing straight through. Robin growled and quickly took out three explosive discs, simultaneously flinging them towards the ghost. They exploded upon contact, creating a film of dust. Seconds after, it cleared, leaving the ghost unscathed.

Robin swallowed convulsively, eyeing the weapons on his belt. For all that they helped, they may as well have been toys.

"Fools! Human weaponry cannot touch me!"

"Then it is well that I am not a human!" Starfire cried from the air above them, swooping down and throwing starbolts in quick succession. Most deflected harmlessly off the ghost's armor, who didn't even attempt to defend himself. What the ghost didn't count on was the few starbolts that managed to hit his horse, causing a high-pitched whinny of surprised pain. The horse reared backwards, nearly throwing off its rider. The ghost howled with anger. The flames on his back moved as if they were alive, lashing out in response to his rage.

"You shall face the wrath of Fright Knight!"

Then, he charged.

"Titans, move!" Robin commanded, falling back to let the others take the lead as they dispersed. He grabbed the communicator off of his utility belt, melting into the background as he searched for a familiar name.

Swallowing his pride, he sent the distress signal before grappling to the top of one of the buildings nearby. The fight had taken to the air, and it was raging.

Cyborg acted as a support from the ground, sending the occasional blast whenever Starfire was out of his trajectory. Starfire herself was still shooting starbolts, weaving through the air as she avoided getting anywhere near the ghost's deadly-looking sword. Above her, Raven had her hood up and was playing damage control, throwing up shields and keeping both her teammates and the buildings around from being harmed. Robin did what he could to help, yelling out battle commands and trying to keep everyone in order.

The Fright Knight's mare whinnied when Beast Boy, in the form of a vulture, dove towards him, getting the Knight's attention. His eyes glowed ominously.

Robin's eyes widened. "Beast Boy, move!" he cried as the beam neared his teammate.

Laser eyes. As if a ghost calling itself the Fright Knight weren't unbelievable enough, it had to have laser eyes too. Had the situation not been as dire, he may've laughed. Maybe he still would.

Beast Boy only just managed to dodge in time. The acrid smell of burnt feathers clung to the air as they smoked lightly from the edge of his left wing.

Cyborg quickly stepped in, shooting a few blasts to give Beast Boy the few seconds he needed to recover as Starfire readied another attack. Robin watched pensively, knowing their attack only served as a distraction. They needed to do something big, and they needed to do it very soon.

"Enough!" The ghost bellowed out loud enough to make everyone freeze as a wave of terror flared around them. Then they saw the flaming meteor growing in his hands. Cyborg's eyes went wide. No one moved as he reared back to throw it. Its purple flames crackled dangerously, and Beast Boy took a hesitant step backwards. Robin froze. His voice acted on his own accord, his body reacting involuntarily from years of fighting.

"Titans, Scatter!"

The panicked cry was enough to snap everyone to attention. Raven quickly threw up a shield trying to cover everyone as the blast came, the situation dire enough for her to access her powers without using her mantra. Robin heard the harsh breath of Star next to him before the meteor exploded upon contact, instantly shattering Raven's shield and throwing everyone backwards. Robin threw his hands up in front of his face, thrown backwards against the roof as he was met with a burst of hot, metallic air and debris.

It took him longer than it should've to register the pain, but when he did it was agonizing. It came over him in waves across his body, a deep, throbbing, searing ache. Quickly, he took inventory, biting back a whimper as he started checking his limbs. Ignoring the strange numbness moving up his left leg coupled with the stinging of his skin, he sat up.

The shield had definitely done its job. Had it not been there, it would've been a lot worse than a few burns and an injured leg. Head spinning dizzily, Robin took a deep breath, evaluating the area around him. Panic surged through him as he realized that none of his team was in his line of vision, and he forced himself to stand, groaning as he stepped on his injured ankle. Definitely sprained, probably not broken. Thank goodness for small miracles.

The meteor had landed twenty or so feet away, leaving a crater in its wake. A moan from nearby caught his attention, and he moved towards it with purpose. The rubble shifted, and a graceful limb became visible, purple armbands gray with dust. With a grunt, Starfire emerged, looking bruised and dirty but no worse for wear.

"Friend-Robin! Are you injured?" She rushed over, eyes concerned, searching him for wounds.

Robin frowned, "I'm fine, Star. We need to find the others." He took a few steps away in an effort to escape her prying, stumbling slightly over a rock that he'd stepped on with his bad leg before righting himself.

"You're hurt." she pointed out, putting an arm out to steady him. Robin grit his teeth, looking away.

"I'm. Fine." he practically growled. He didn't need coddling. It was bad enough that he was the most likely to get injured in battle due to his non-meta human status. There was still a villain to worry about, after all.

In his panic, he'd forgotten to keep his eyes on the enemy. Following the sounds of nearby destruction, he found the Knight quickly. He was in the sky, floating aimlessly as he fragmented the surrounding buildings. Suddenly, Robin had an idea.

"We need to get the Knight's attention away from those buildings. There could be civilians. Can you distract him? I can find our teammates down here and call for back-up."

Starfire stood up straighter, clenching her fists, "Of course, Friend-Robin. Make sure that the others are well, and I can keep Fright Knight occupied."

Robin nodded, and she sent him a brilliant smile before her eyes began to glow with power. He watched as she flew towards the ghost, power radiating off her like starlight in the night sky.

Robin worked as quickly as he could, gathering his team while ignoring the stabs of pain in his leg as he walked across the debris in the street. Starfire wouldn't last long and he was rapidly running out of ideas to stall. He gasped as the needle-like pain shot through his ankle when a slab of concrete slipped from under his weight. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to fight at all for much longer.

He found Cyborg making his way over towards him, covered in dirt but otherwise unhurt. A few scratches adorned his metal chest, and a few of the more delicate metals seemed dented. In his arms he carried Beast Boy, who was unconscious. A dark, purple bruise had already begun to form on the side of his forehead. No doubt he had a concussion. They regarded each other grimly.

"Have you seen Raven?" Robin asked, quickly scanning the streets around them. Cyborg shook his head, shifting slightly to get a better hold on the changeling. Seeing movement he turned, seeing the flap of Raven's dark blue tattered cape.

"There!" He pointed, leading them albeit the limp in his step. Cyborg lifted a brow and Robin shot him a heated look, before trudging forward. He shook his head in disapproval, but remained quiet, and for that Robin was thankful.

Raven looked worse than the others - bruises, scrapes and burns all covered her body. Robin bit back a curse. She had taken the brunt of the blast, and used quite a bit of power strengthening her shield and protecting them all. He stooped down on his good leg, allowing the other to fall back on his knee. Gently he pulled her arm out of the rubble and put two fingers against her wrist, feeling the steady beat of her heart. He let go of a relieved, shaky breath.

"Raven." He shook her gently, putting a hand behind her head to prop her up. She groaned, eyes fluttering before putting a hand to her head with a wince. As she removed it, blood coated her fingers. There was no way she'd be able to continue fighting.

"Star's holding off Fright Knight for now, we have to try and get into a store that sells ghost equipment. If we can't defeat him, the least we can do is detain him." He told Cyborg, keeping his eyes on the empath who was slowly coming back to consciousness.

Any reply Cyborg may have given was suddenly cut off by the loud blast above them. Starfire's body slammed into the ground with a thud, scattering debris and dust. Robin's heart jumped, Starfire didn't move.

"Insignificant fools!" Fright Knight growled at them, sword perched high above his head. His aura flared and the flames around him spiked in height. Robin stumbled to his feet, into a defensive stance.

"No mere human can defeat Fright Knight. Now, prepare to die!"

"Not on my watch!"

The shield came from out of nowhere. Despite the telltale glow of ecto-energy, it didn't feel threatening. In fact, it almost felt… safe.

Behind the shield, holding it up like it weighed nothing, stood a figure. The newcomer was tall and glowing, illuminating the darkness of the sky above like a beacon. As he approached, the air grew colder. He brought with him the scent of ozone, sharp and heavy, like a lightning storm. Power radiated from him, an electric hum mixed with the chill of a day in midwinter. It was a welcome change from the aura that the Fright Knight gave off, full of death and decay and fear. Robin drank it in, reveling in the temporary security that it brought, before stopping himself.

Like any ghost, this one was dangerous. Danny, for all of his defense of Phantom, had made it clear that ghosts were always a threat. He needed to stay on guard, just in case.

"Hey, Fright Knight! Heard you were looking for little ole' me. Is that true?"

The voice sounded almost distant, as though it were coming from far away. It had a strange, echoey quality that Robin supposed was a characteristic of all ghosts. Unlike the Knight, though, it wasn't filled with the undercurrent of nightmares, or the feeling of impending doom.

Suddenly, Robin registered the meaning of the new ghost's words. Looking for him… was this-

"Phantom! How dare you attempt to stall for time by sending these worthless creatures to do your bidding!"

Oh.

"Jeez. And here I was thinking you wanted a reunion. How'd you get outta the Ghost Zone, anyway?"

Phantom transferred the shield to one hand, facing the Titans, "You guys should get out of here. It's not safe."

Robin bristled at the statement, "You don't get to determine what is and isn't safe for us. We're the Teen Titans. We know how to handle ourselves."

Phantom's calm smile morphed into a disconcerted frown.

"I know who you are. I also know that you guys handle meta-humans. You handle muggings and bank robberies and supervillains. Ghosts are another thing entirely. That's my job. You're not needed here." His shield flickered at these words, and he turned back to use both hands to feed energy into it.

"It was your job. Was. What, did you think you could just disappear for three years and still come back and play hero? That isn't how this works, Phantom. It's not how being a hero works. You don't get to leave your city behind and expect other heroes to not come in to help."

The ghost didn't argue, intently focused on holding the shield. But Robin was trained to read body language, human or otherwise. He saw the way Phantom's shoulders stiffened slightly before relaxing. He'd gotten under his skin.

So he wasn't at all surprised when the ghost said his next words, "Fine. Do you what want, but stay out of my way. This is my battle."

Phantom dropped the shield unceremoniously, taking to the sky like he was meant for it, taking his protective aura with him.

Robin just watched.

* * *

A/N - astrovagant -

Hey everyone! It's been awhile. I would apologize for the delay, but me and Sephora have very busy schedules between health issues, work, school, and living in general. We're still working on coordinating our schedules for writing time, but we're definitely becoming a lot more productive regarding both the quality and size of the chapters here. Working on this chapter came really easily to us, and it was so fun! I love having Sephora as a writing buddy. She keeps me on-task, which is something I really struggle with as a writer.

I saw all of the reviews from last chapter, and while some of you did agree with my A/N, others didn't. And that's okay. Honestly, it doesn't change how I feel about the way that the fandom treats Valerie. But she's not the villain here. She's a character with flaws, and because characters are modeled after people, they change and grow just the same.

Regarding updates - my co-author and I have decided to update monthly from now on. It works the best for us, and while we will occasionally update more than once a month, expect monthly updates unless we say otherwise!

Please review if you can! We love feedback! Oh, and also: I finally caved and made a DC tumblr. It's starfyrs! Don't forget to follow that and my DP blog, which is spaectral!


End file.
